


Crimson Tears

by QueenAngella



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Blood and Gore, Child Abandonment, Childbirth, Childhood Trauma, Death Threats, Graphic descriptions of violence, Haunted by the past, Implied Sexual Content, Mild Language, Multi, Parent-Child Relationship, Past Character Death, Past Child Abuse, Poisoning, Pregnancy, Prophetic Dreams, Suicide Attempt, Threats of Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-28
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:40:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 31,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23886868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenAngella/pseuds/QueenAngella
Summary: Embarking on a new journey, Queen Angella remembers back to her childhood when she was the Princess of Bright Moon and the daughter of a verbally and physically abusive narcissistic Queen.  This takes place around the time of the first princess alliance and flashes back to times during the reign of Angella's mother.
Relationships: Angella & Glimmer (She-Ra), Angella/Micah (She-Ra), Glimmer & Micah (She-Ra)
Comments: 28
Kudos: 47





	1. Under the Moonlight

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first piece I have uploaded on this site so I hope you enjoy. The time line will jump around a lot through different events that happened in Angella's past.

Yes they were strange folk or rather normal folk with strange customs or beliefs but who was Angella to judge when the people of the Kingdom of Plumeria probably thought the same of Bright Moon. Trust that no matter what happens and no matter how dark the days are, the universe will provide and everything will be okay. Those words she heard from there were whispered through Plumeria several times. The signs were there and you just had to follow them. Pay attention and you’ll see them, especially in your dreams. As Queen of Bright Moon, the largest kingdom and capitol, she ruled over several other kingdoms even though they were individually ruled by their own leaders. They never seemed to need her she felt as they all did their own thing. All under the threat of the Horde, they all thought they could defend their kingdoms on their own. Kingdom of Snows was in isolated within their winter wonderland and Salineas with their large naval forces ruling the seas felt they did not need Bright Moon. But Plumeria was different. Welcoming her with open arms and gifts, Angella rather enjoyed her visits always leaving with more fruit and vegetables than she could transport back. Living in peace as they meditated and spoke to the universe, trusting in its powers, they were the happiest kingdom of all of them. Was it they somehow knew everything would work out or was it the strange herbs they consumed in many ways caused their strange euphoric state? 

The dreams Angella was experiencing now several nights plagued her and left her depleted of energy during the day. Intense and even frightening, she wondered if they were trying to tell her something as those words from Plumeria came to her mind. Pay attention for the universe is sending a message and guiding you to your destiny. The ground was shaking and turning to dust that rose upward, disappearing into nothingness. The young blond haired girl that appeared in all of them seemed so familiar yet she had never seen her before. The only two left in this strange place that was disintegrating underneath and all around them.

“Take care of each other” she remembered herself saying as she gripped a sword and then with a flash of light she jolted out of bed, gasping for breath, sharp pains reverberating through her skull. Sweat coated her body like an icy prison, closing in on her, suffocating her. Micah would always wake up and try to comfort her, as sobs escaped her throat. No idea why she felt such intense emotions, including sadness. There were times when the pain in her head felt like her skull would crack and break open and a burning sensation rose up from her stomach to her esophagus that she barely had time to run to the bathroom where last night’s supper would escape from her throat and into the toilet. Micah would rush to her side and hold her until she calmed down. Oh Micah, her sweet and loving husband, whatever would she do if anything happened to him. For the first time she was left with this icy chill that filled her veins with dread and she was never so scared. She feared losing him.

Never was she sick a day in her life. As an immortal angelic being, the last of her race, she never thought she’d fall in love with a mortal. She knew she’d outlive him and she would have to deal with watching him grow older and eventually leave her but she placed those thoughts deep within, never wanting to dwell on it. Why worry about something many years from now when she was here in the now and she’d live in the bliss of this magic called love. Never had any angelic being and mortal bore any offspring together. She knew it and so did Micah and he was okay with that. She always wondered if he ever did want to be a father and she never asked. He loved her and she loved him and that was all that mattered. Together they would get through the darkest of all days.

The Universe is always with you and guiding you. Everything will be okay. Everything will work out. Pay attention to the signs. Angella tried but she could not see any signs and nor would she want to decipher them for she wanted to forget those dreams. Please stop she told herself and to whoever was listening. Please stop these dreams. They must have heard her, whoever they were. Was it this Universe that the Plumerians talked about? One last dream she had or what she thought was going to be her last dream and it was not like the previous ones.

It wasn’t the blond girl she kept seeing but another girl. Angella was in Bright Moon and the dream was so real she felt she was really seeing and feeling it. She couldn’t have been sleep walking because it was daytime. This girl was shorter than the one she had seen in all her other dreams. Recognizing the white robe she wore, she remembered wearing it herself on her coronation; only it fit her but seemed to swallow this girl. 

Seeing the girl from only the back, Angella called out “Wait! Stop!”

She didn’t seem to hear her as she entered the throne room. Following her in, Angella realized they were the only ones as normally there would be guards stationed on either side of the long walkway. Ascending the steps to the throne, the girl seemed oblivious to the fact there was someone else there.

“Stop! Who are you? What are you doing in my throne room?” Angella called out.

The girl finally turned and stared right at her. She seemed so familiar yet Angella had never seen her in her life. Was it a younger version of herself but even though this girl had the same pink hair as her but her eyes were different? Not only were they shaped different but there was a glint in them like diamonds under a clear night and full moons. Angella froze when she saw Micah as she looked at this girl. The girl, looking just as puzzled as her, finally spoke, “Mom?”

Waking up, she realized this time she felt no pain and saw no flashes of light. Feeling a little queasy, she wiped tears from her eyes. Micah was still asleep. Good. She never woke him. She knew this girl and yet she didn’t know her. A strange sensation took ahold of her as she wanted to wrap her arms around this girl and hold onto her tight never wanting to let go. Whispering to herself so not to wake Micah, “No. It can’t be. It’s not possible”.

Having quickly fallen back into a slumber this next dream was one she would remember so vividly. She was standing on the moonstone platform looking up at her runestone floating above her. It seemed to glow brighter and brighter as she stared at it. She saw images quickly flash before her eyes in the moonstone, like a movie quickly playing a history of Bright Moon as she saw many beings of her race, most she had no idea who they were and a few she had seen in history books or in portraits on the walls throughout the castle. The images stopped for a second and the moonstone exploded in intense light that Angella had to cover her eyes. She heard the cries of a small child, “No, Mama, please don’t. I’ll be good this time”. The sound of a slap seemed to reverberate throughout Angella’s body and the child let out a scream. Angella felt her eyes fill up with tears. The next voice she heard was one she had not heard in years and after all those years, hearing it again made her feel like ice water was running through her veins. “You have embarrassed me for the last time, Angella”.

Covering her eyes, Angella did not want to look at the runestone, fearing she would see who had spoken that voice. She slowly moved her hand away from her face. With her eyes still closed, she opened them one at a time. For a split second she saw what looked like what she had seen in books, an image of an unborn baby. The moonstone exploded again in bright light and she heard what sounded like a newborn baby crying. When her eyes readjusted, she was no longer standing on the runestone platform but in the throne room. She looked up towards the throne and standing on the steps half away up was the young girl.

“Who are you?” asked Angella.

Looking puzzled, the girl said, “What do you mean? It’s me. You are my mother”.

“I’m not your mother. I can’t be your mother” 

“Yes, you are. Why can’t you be my mother?”

“It’s impossible”

“What do you mean it’s impossible?” the girl asked as tears began to form in her eyes.

“Who are you? What’s your name?” Angella asked, feeling guilty as she saw the girl’s lips quiver.

“You should know that. You gave me my name” exclaimed the girl, with tears running down her cheeks turned, and started heading back up the steps.

“I’m sorry. I don’t understand” Angella yelled as she began approaching the steps.

Suddenly Angella felt her legs go out from underneath as she slipped on the floor. It happened so fast she didn’t have time to spread her wings to try to stop or slow down her fall. She placed her hands on the floor to push herself up and felt a warm wetness. Looking down at the floor, she realized she was in a puddle of blood. Angella started to breathe heavily as she looked at her blood covered hands. She then looked up and the girl was nowhere to be seen but walking down the steps from the throne was an older woman, an angelic being as tall as she was with a slightly heavier build. Her lavender hair was curly with a dark purple underneath. As the woman got closer, Angella was staring into the same angry piercing pink eyes of her predecessor, Queen Isabella.

“No, no. Don’t” Angella cried.

“You did this, Angella. It was you” the woman said as she walked across the floor and stopped to stand over Angella.

“Mother, I didn’t. I wasn’t me” Angella sobbed.

Isabella lunged and the next thing Angella knew her mother’s hands were around her neck, thumbs pressing into her windpipe. She reached up and tried to pry her mother’s fingers open but the grasp kept getting tighter. Everything went dark.

A scream escaped her throat as Angella sat up in her bed, her wings flaring out on either side of her followed by what sounded like a thud. She started coughing trying to catch her breath, still feeling her mother’s fingers pressing on her throat. When she managed to compose herself she realized she had knocked Micah off the bed.

“Micah, I am so sor….”

Not able to finish her sentence, Angella quickly got out of bed and hurried to the bathroom where she threw up in the toilet. Micah rushed over to her. 

“It's okay, Angie. I’m okay. Are you okay?” Micah asked her as he rubbed her back between her wings.

“I don’t know. I don’t know what is happening to me. What if I’ve been poisoned?” Angella said with tears in her eyes.

“Who would poison you?”

“The Horde. They poisoned my mother. I don’t know how they did or how they got in but they did. My eighteenth birthday party. One minute she was fine, already on her fourth glass of wine and yelling at the server girl and the next minute she was dead”

“Before you knocked me off the bed and I heard you screaming ‘Mother, no. Don’t”

“It was just a bad dream. I just need to go back to bed and get some sleep” 

Micah helped Angella to her feet. He reached up and brushed a few strands of hair out of her face and asked, “You never talk about your mother. She was not a good mother, was she?”

Wiping tears from her eyes, Angella replied, “No she wasn’t. She was a monster. A nightmare. If I had a choice back then, I would have chosen to stay in a Horde dungeon”.


	2. An Angel Cast Aside

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Told from the point of view of an original character.

They said she would never make it through the night. At least that’s what the Queen had said despite the healers and midwives saying otherwise. Cora had been a wet nurse for six years since losing her own daughter. She had left her home kingdom of Salineas and worked in many kingdoms for noble families but no matter how many babies she had nursed and taken care of, not one could fill the void in her heart her own baby had left after being born prematurely. She felt it was an honor when she had been contacted by the advisors of Queen Isabella of Bright Moon to be the wet nurse and care giver to the soon to be little prince or princess. She was moved into a nice apartment in the basement of Castle Bright Moon which she found was kind of weird because she figured the Queen would want her chambers and nursery near her own. King Marangelo, Isabella’s husband and consort had come to Cora’s chambers to introduce himself. He was a tall and very handsome angelic being with violet eyes and magenta hair. He was very kind and asked if she was settling in okay and told her she could come to him if she ever needed anything. He was to leave on a month long mission of meetings in some kingdom on the other side of Etheria, ordered by the Queen, but he was excited that he’d at least be back in time for the birth of his child. Cora detected by the tone of his voice when he briefly mentioned the Queen that he was not particularly fond of her. Despite being immortal, due to extremely low birth rates which were next to none, their numbers dwindled. Their marriage was arranged so Isabella could produce an heir. It was said they were the last of their race on the planet.

The halls were rather quiet, including the Bright Moon guards who stood at attention never moving or making a sound. Cora had been woken up in the middle of the night by one of the Queen’s messengers to come to her chambers immediately. She had not even met the Queen or been introduced to her yet but was to come to her in these late hours. Or was it very early morning? The baby wasn’t due for another six weeks. She wasn’t prepared for the scene that enfolded when she entered the chambers.

Filling the rather large bedroom were the wails of an infant. A small girl of the moth people race of the forest folk stood near the entrance with a small bundle in her arms. The girl looked sad. She could have been anywhere from her late teens or early thirties as the adults even looked like children. She looked at Cora with tear filled eyes and said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t know who else to call. She refuses to hold the child”.

Looking over at the large bed, a few of the other midwives and healers were tending to Her Majesty. The Queen looked very beautiful despite having just given birth. Her wavy lavender hair looked to not have one hair out of place. Cora thought it odd that instead of looking overjoyed at the birth of her child, she looked extremely annoyed. Walking over to the moth girl, Cora gently pulled back the blankets to get a better look at the baby. She had never seen an infant angelic being before. The baby had pink hair with purple towards the back of its neck. Large downy like wings bigger than the child encased it like a cocoon. Face was beat red from crying. “How old is um…?”

“It’s a little girl. She was born last night. She’s about five hours old and woke up from a nap hungry. Her Majesty has not held her once since she was born” the moth girl replied.

“She’s weak. She won’t even last the night. Now take her out of here so I can rest” shouted the Queen from her bed.

Cora gently reached out and stroked the side of the baby’s face with her fingers. A rage built up inside of her as she looked at this tiny baby girl crying for her mother who refused to even acknowledge her existence. She had never spoken to the Queen but she knew right then that she did not like her. Slowly approaching the bed Cora spoke, “Your Majesty, we have never met but my name is Cora and I was hired to be this child’s wet nurse, but she is crying because she needs her mother. She wants to be held in your arms and feel her mother’s love”.

“You’re the wet nurse so take care of her” 

“Your Majesty, yes I am her wet nurse and will be taking care of her but you are still her mother and she needs you”

Isabella rolled over so her back was to Cora and said, “And I need my rest so get that baby out of here or I’ll shut her up myself”

Cora froze. Would the Queen hurt her own child? She wasn’t going to press the issue any further. She cleared her throat and said, “Very well, my Queen. Does the child have a name?”

“Why? She’s going to die anyway so why waste one on her” the Queen replied.

“She is not going to die. Can’t you hear her lungs are strong? She needs a name”

“Fine! If it will make all of you go away along with that brat. That miserable oaf of a king wanted to name her Angella if it was a girl. So there, be it! Now get that thing out of here so I can get my rest” snapped the Queen.

Cora turned and headed toward the door, gesturing for the moth girl holding the infant to do the same. Once the door was shut to the Queen’s chambers, Cora reached out to the girl and said, “I’ll take her. She’s going to be all right”.

She felt so light in her Cora’s arms. Rocking her gently, Cora looked at the tiny child who was still crying but had calmed down a little and said to her, “It’s okay, little princess. I promise I’ll take care of you. I am so sorry this has happened to you, Angella”.

Those first few days proved to be exhausting and heart breaking for Cora as Angella cried constantly when she wasn’t asleep. It proved to be even more heart breaking as she refused to nurse. She would not even try. The healers and midwives had come to check on her and found nothing wrong. She was very tiny for a newborn but she had been born six weeks early. Cora had tried three different types of formula to see if Angella preferred one of them but she refused to even try, crying and turning her head. As days went by, Cora was exhausted but she was determined that she would not give up on this child. Angella lost weight and her pale pinkish skin started to turn an ashen white. Soon she was constantly sleeping and when awake, she was too weak to even cry. Cora had to wake her up a few times just to make sure she could wake up.

The Queen never inquired about her child. No celebrations were heard as if the rest of the kingdom had no idea she had been born. Normally it was a big deal when an heir to a kingdom was born. In the middle of the night, one of the healers had Cora take Angella to her runestone, the Moonstone. Knowing Queen Isabella would most likely be angry at anyone other than herself to go up onto the platform, the healer had given her a heavy sedative on top of the pain killers she had been demanding. Angella’s skin did pink up a little, soaking up the warm light of the Moonstone, but it did not stimulate her appetite.

After a week had passed since her birth, Angella just appeared lifeless. After one of the healers had left, leaving Cora with the news that they had done all they could and Angella was likely to die, she held onto the baby, rocking back and forth in the rocking chair, sobbing. After losing her own child over six years ago, she was going to lose another all over again. She had never forged much of a connection with the children she had nursed and taken of since then but she felt a strong connection to Angella as this tiny little angel had found a place in her heart. Her race was immortal and resilient to most sickness and even could survive long periods without food or water, but Angella was just a newborn, born prematurely so even immortality was not going to save her.

Knowing she’d be disappointed, Cora placed Angella at her breast, just hoping she would finally latch on. The baby girl was so weak so could barely turn her head. Sobbing, Cora said to her, “Please, Angella, you have to try. I promised you I would take care of you and never give up on you and I haven’t yet. You need your mother I know but you have a mother who loves you and wants to take care of you”.

A few feathers drifted to the floor and Cora’s heart sank. Each day Angella grew weaker and more and more feathers fell out of her wings. The little princess opened her eyes really wide and looked up at Cora. It was the first time Angella had really opened her eyes wide and stared into her own. They were a deep violet, the same color as her father’s. Since she had been born, as she had not held her eyes open for too long to have a good look at them.

“You are a beautiful angelic child and any mother would be overjoyed to have you. You are very strong, Princess Angella and I am so proud I get to be your mother” Cora sobbed as she gently took her fingers and touched the little wisps of soft pink hair on her head.

Looking into her eyes, Cora felt a strong connection and felt a sense of acceptance like Angella was looking at her for the first time. Looking at her mother for the first time. Placing her at her breast again, Angella slowly turned her head and latched on. It was weak at first but then she was soon nursing. Cora was crying and laughing.

After she had gotten her fill, Angella fell asleep. Cora did not put her in her crib for a while, but she felt everything was going to be okay. Looking at the baby, her slumber seemed more restful, not a sleep where she was too weak and couldn’t stay awake. Cora knew there would be a time when Queen Isabella would come around and display the child to show that she could be a mother when in reality everyone that had been at Angella’s birth and first few days knew she was not. Cora made a promise that she would raise this child as her own and no matter if the Queen had taken that away from her, she would never give up on Angella and would always be there for her.


	3. A Sparkle in the Darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angella and Micah receive some shocking news.

The air smelled fresh as it had just stopped raining. The magical rays from the daytime moon broke through the clouds and felt unusually warm on Angella’s face as she stepped outside the castle. It felt too warm for June in Bright Moon since normally it didn’t start getting really warm until mid-July. It never got too cold nor did it ever snow in the winter months. Steam rose into the air as the water evaporated from the ground. She opened her hand and looked at the small little device in the palm of hand. It was a small memory card that projected a holographic image and looked more like a rock or some sort of crystal. 

“I had to see to believe it” Angella said quietly to herself as she closed her hand and dropped it to her side.

Not sure what prompted her but Angella decided to take a different route to the Moonstone platform. She could have always flown which she usually did anyway unless she took the stairs, but she decided to take a detour and walk onto the grass. She came upon where the old pavilion used to be which hosted many events including outdoor balls and dinners. There was nothing left of it except for a few stone benches that were either broken or covered in vegetation. The floor had been torn up letting the grass grow again. Angella had ordered it to be demolished and have a new one built closer to the castle after her disastrous eighteenth birthday party. It had been one of her first orders as Queen.

There was an area where the grass never grew back when the floor had been removed. A lump formed in her throat and at first glance she thought she saw blood ooze from the ground, spilling out, and flowing towards her. She gasped, closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, it was gone. There was no blood. Angella shook her head. It was obvious she was tired. Perhaps she should go to bed early and try to fit in some of her work sometime tomorrow. Micah had been pushing her to get more rest as well as see the healer, to get answers as to why she kept having nightmares and getting sick. She had just seen the healer and sent a message to one of her guards to have Micah meet her on the runestone platform. 

Spreading her wings, Angella took off to fly towards the platform. The area had been sending chills up her spine. When she closed her eyes she could still hear the garbled words that haunted her to this day. “You did this, Angella. It was you”.

Perhaps she needed Micah to perform a cleansing spell on the area as it most likely was holding onto the horror that befell before her and her guests from several other kingdoms. When she had landed on the moonstone platform, already she felt much better, no longer feeling that heaviness on her chest. The warm glow of her runestone made her feel energized and tingled on her skin when the soft blue or pink light hit it. She walked over to the edge of the platform and looked out over the vast Whispering Woods, the only reason why the Horde had never gotten anywhere near Bright Moon.

“You know you do have an unfair advantage flying up here. I thought for once I’d beat you”. It was easily recognized as Micah’s voice.

Turning around, Angella smiled and said, “Aren’t you the world’s greatest sorcerer? I would have thought you’d come up with a quicker way to get up here”.

“Nah, I’d feel guilty about beating you”

“Whatever you say, Honey” Angella said as she leaned over and kissed Micah on the cheek.

“You seem to be in a better mood than this morning before you saw the healer. I take it you’re not dying and no one poisoned you”

Loosely wrapping her arms around Micah’s neck, Angella said, “We’re going to be fine”

“We’re fine? I know I’m fine or at least I think I’m fine” Micah said looking a little puzzled.

“Yes, you’re fine too. You, me, and the baby”

“That’s great! That is really good…um…wait…did you say baby?”

“Yes, Micah. We’re going to have a baby”

“How?”

Angella stepped back, dropping her arms at her side and asked, “Did you really just ask me how? Apparently they must not teach the basics at that fancy magic school you went to. I’m sure there are books you can find in our library that might help explain the process”

“I know how but I thought it couldn’t happen between us, with you being an angelic being and me being a mortal sorcerer”

“I don’t know. But I didn’t believe the healer when she told me. I made her run every test possible and even after they all tested positive, I still didn’t believe her” 

Micah hugged her and exclaimed, “This is wonderful. I’m going to be a dad”.

Turning away from Micah and walking over to the edge of the moonstone platform, Angella said, “I guess it hasn’t sunk in yet. Even amongst my own species it can sometimes take years if at all to conceive. I just can’t help but wonder if it was that night we spent under the moonstone. The moonstone represents the goddess of women and fertility and if you remember that night it literally almost exploded and lit up the whole sky for a few seconds. I had never seen it do that before”.

“But that had to be at least three moons ago”

“Well, the thought of me being with child was the last thing I would have suspected. I was so focused on these nightmares that I ignored other signs like feeling I was sharing a small fraction of the connection to the moonstone, like when I connected to it there was a part I could not access. And that part continues to increase. And I have been wearing these tight fitting outfits they expect the Queen to wear for years and suddenly they are starting to feel a little snug. Which means I won’t be wearing them for a while now and raise more suspicions around the kingdom.”

Turning back around to face Micah, Angella held out her hand and opened it, she revealing the small device that looked like some sort of jewel. A small holographic image of a tiny unborn baby appeared. “After the healer was ready to ring my neck because I kept saying all the tests were not accurate she called one of the midwives who had a device from the Kingdom of Dryl that scanned my belly and saved the image onto one of these. She is about three moons along in her development”

Gently passing the crystal over to Micah who was starting to tear up with happiness, he asked, “It’s a girl, isn’t it?”

“Yes, they confirmed it and in Bright Moon only the female monarchs form any connection with the Moonstone. Females are more desired because of that and since my kind does not reproduce very frequently sometimes it can be a big disappointment when a male heir is born”

“Regardless of the connection, I always wanted to have a daughter. Females also make better rulers I think”

Shaking her head Angella said, “That is not always the case. You never met my mother”

“I was a teenager when I heard the news that she had passed. I didn’t know too much about her but from the stories I’ve heard, I guess I’m glad I’ll never meet her”

“I wish I had never met her and she was my mother. I wish I had a mother to talk to about these things and what to expect but the only thing she ever told me was how I ruined her body and how she couldn’t wait until I was out of her. Well, she got her wish I was born six weeks early and luckily for me I had someone who actually wanted to be my mother. I hope I can be the mother this child needs”

“You will be a great mother, Angie. You’re one of the most kind and compassionate beings I ever met. You’re beautiful inside and out and I wouldn’t have fallen for you if you weren’t”

“I hope you’re right. Just this comes at a time when we are at war and we have a rebellion to lead. I fear for the safety of our child and a child of an angelic being connected to the moonstone and the most powerful sorcerer Mystacor has ever seen will be sought after by the Horde. I hear they kidnap children and raise them to be Horde soldiers”

“If anyone so much as thinks about taking my baby girl away from me I’ll destroy them”. Micah was still studying the hologram and was moving it around to see it from different angles. Before handing it back to Angella he said, “I think she already looks like me”.

“She’d be lucky if she inherited your genes” Angella said as she leaned over the kissed her husband on the cheek. “And let’s not tell anyone. Not even your sister”

“They’re going to know sooner or later”

“I know but try to keep it quiet as long as we can. The less people that know the less of a chance it gets back to the Horde. Just promise me you won’t tell anyone”

“I promise, Angie. Now let’s get back down to the castle so we can have dinner. Any cravings yet?”

Placing her hand on her abdomen, Angella said, “I think this little one has a sweet tooth as I keep craving cake and ice cream” 

“Must take after her daddy. We’ll have all the cake and ice cream we want tonight” as he started towards the stairs.

“Oh, and Micah, could you do a cleansing spell where the old pavilion used to be?” Angella called after him.

“Is that where…um..?”

“Yes, I shouldn’t have walked through there but it is good ground and if we want to build something on it one day I don’t want it to be imbedded with horrible memories”

“I’ll do it first thing this morning. I’d say I’d race you to the castle but you’ll just use those wings and be there before I’m half way down the tower”

Smiling, Angelle watched him disappear as he descended the stairs. She spread her wings and took off towards the castle. A part of her was excited as she let the news sink in that she was going to be a mother in six moons but another part filled her with dread as she thought of her own mother and made her worry somehow she’d feel detached and make her child feel unloved.


	4. The Immoral Queen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Every little girl dreams of being a princess, but for an actual priness, Angella was living a nightmare.

Bright Moon was much different. A time before the Horde arrived when people could come and go as they pleased, not a care in the world. The streets, castle, and throne room were always crowded. Just six years old, Princess Angella tried to keep up with her mother, Queen Isabella, as she walked to the steps that led to her throne, through the crowd that moved quickly to the side, letting them pass. Angella had to practically run to keep up with mother’s walking stride. She wasn’t sure if it was her dress or just her own feet, but she tripped and fell, hitting both knees on the hard floor. She felt tears sting her eyes. The Queen just glanced back at her but quickly looked forward not stopping. One of the guards helped her to her feet as a concerned crowd looked on.

“Are you all right, Princess?” the guard asked.

The Queen, stopped, looked back and snapped, “She’ll be fine. Now try better to keep up, Angella”.

Isabella sat on her throne as Angella stood straight next to her as the residents of Bright Moon each took turns having a chance to speak with the Queen about their problems. Not listening to what was being said, Angella started to fidget. She hated just standing there, but her mother said to watch and learn as she would be up on that throne one day. She didn’t want to watch or listen. She wanted to be outside, playing with the other little kids. She wanted to be with Cora, her nursemaid and former wet nurse.

She called Cora "mom" for the first few years as she thought she was until her own mother kept coming around more often. She later learned her name was Cora and Isabella made her call her that. Even though Angella thought Cora liked it when she called her mom, it angered her own mother so she had to stop calling her that. Cora was dark skinned with cerulean blue hair and looked drastically different from Angella who had very pale almost purplish skin and pink and purple hair and obviously her angelic wings, however Angella felt connected to her and could come to her for anything like whenever she’d get hurt or just to be held whenever she had a nightmare. Angella saw less and less of Cora within the past year until she was forced to spend more time with her own mother.

Looking down at her feet, Angella yawned only to have her mother turn and look at her angrily. She stood up straighter and looked ahead, but as the hours went on, she found it harder and harder to just stay still and pretend to be listening. She was starving and hoped her mother would finish so she could eat. Finally what seemed like forever her mother dismissed the rest of the crowd telling them that was all for today and she’d continue tomorrow. Isabella stood up, looked over at her and commanded, “Come, Angella”.

Angella followed her mother as they exited the throne room and were walking down a long hallway. Her feet were dragging as she was tired from standing for so long. Isabella stopped, turned back and glared at her. “Try harder to keep up. I’m not going to carry you”.

“Yes, Mom”

The smells of food cooking were heavenly as Angella felt her stomach growl as they walked right past the main dining area. She knew better than to question her mother so she kept quiet and continued to try and keep up with her pace. Isabella turned to gesture to the guards to stay and not follow her. They came around the corner to the door to Angella’s bedroom. Once there, Isabella, opened the door, grabbed a hold of Angella’s arm with such force she thought her arm came out of its socket. Isabella flung her across the floor. She stepped inside the room and slammed the door behind her.

Tears filled her eyes as Angella was yanked by the scruff of her neck and forced to stand up. “You embarrassed me out there. You watch where you’re going” Isabella said, her pink eyes almost glowing with rage.

“I’m sorry, Mama. It won’t happen again. I’ll try harder next time”

“You will not embarrass me again, Angella. Do you understand?”

“I didn’t mean to trip. It was an accident”

It happened so fast that Angella did not know what hit her as she flew backwards. Her cheek stung where her mother had slapped her. Feathers gently landed all around her as she lay on the ground.

“I asked you, do you understand?”

Sobs escaped her throat as Angella curled her wings around her body. Still lying on the floor, she looked down, not wanting to look at her mother. She wanted her nurse maid. She wanted her father who had died or disappeared when she was four. She barely remembered him but what she did remember was that he was kind and came to visit her way more frequently than her mother. Her mother had told her he went away because he did not love Angella anymore and didn’t want to see her again. The whispers around the castle were that he had killed himself. The last male angelic being, leaving her and mother as the last ones left on Etheria. Angella was the last and would always be the last in line for the Bright Moon throne. They were supposedly immortal but due to next to no birthrate, their race slowly died off.

A sharp pain hit her abdomen so hard she was sure a couple ribs had been broken. Isabella had kicked her wearing boots that were pointed on the end. The pain was so great that Angella could barely move or cry. She laid still, a crumpled heap on the bare floor. Silence, as she felt hands gently grab her shoulders and flip her over onto her back. Her mother actually looked worried for a minute until she coughed. The coughing sent pain from her ribs to the rest of her abdomen. Angella realized her mother thought she was dead for a second as she didn’t move. When she saw she was still alive the worried look disappeared. 

“Angella, honey, I’m sorry but you have to understand you’ll be queen one day and you have to act right. You are my heir and I can’t have you tripping all over the place and yawning like you’re bored. You’ll be on that throne one day. Promise me you’ll try to watch where you’re going and to try to stand still and not yawn in the throne room. Promise me you’ll do better next time”

“I promise, mama. I’ll be good tomorrow. I promise”

“Good, darling, now go get dressed for bed and I’ll have someone bring you something to eat in a little bit. I can’t have you walking around the castle looking like that”.

“Yes, Mama"

Isabella reached over and kissed her forehead. It felt cold like an icicle had been driven through her skull.

“Goodnight, dear. I’ll have someone come by this morning to look at those bruises and get them covered up. But you have to tell them you got them from falling. Okay, sweetheart?”

“I will, Mama. I promise”

Isabella stood up and walked out of the room. Angella heard a click as she realized her mother had just locked her in. That night it took a while to change into her night clothes as it hurt to move. She cried herself to sleep. No one had brought any food to her that night.


	5. The Ties That Bind Us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angella tries to get as much of her royal duties completed before her daughter is born. While in the study, she remembers a more civil conversation with her mother and learns a few things of her past.

The crickets seemed to drown out any other noise in the kingdom as their songs came in from the open windows and filled the study. Angella sat at the desk going through paperwork, looking through a list of meetings scheduled throughout the week. She knew she should be taking it easy, but she was trying to get as much stuff done before she welcomed her baby girl in about six weeks. With running a kingdom and being leader of the alliance, Angella was wondering how she would be able to handle motherhood. Her mother, Queen Isabella, never had to deal with juggling a kingdom and motherhood, as she just choose to run a kingdom and just let her nursemaid, Cora, raise her. She didn’t want to do that. She wanted to be there for her baby girl who would never feel unloved or unwanted. Her daughter would have both her mother and her father there for her as well as her aunt. She refused to hire a wet nurse and would feed her at her own breast. If she absolutely had to, she’d feed her during her meetings.

She couldn’t focus barely on the paperwork as she was already tired from her baby shower earlier today. She didn’t want one but her sister-in-law, Castaspella absolutely insisted and she didn’t want to hurt her feelings. She so excited about being an aunt. Angella did have fun as she received some very nice gifts and gotten some good tips from some of the other leaders from the other kingdoms who were mothers. Casta had knitted so many little outfits, that the baby would not need any more outfits for at least a year.

A slight breeze came in and blew some of the papers off the desk. Angella didn’t bother going over to pick them up. The room did make her feel uneasy. She had been summoned to this room several times as a princess whenever her mother needed her, sometimes to talk or more so vent which usually was her talking about herself and sliding in little insults at her whenever she could and there were a few times she had gotten beaten. Her mother also liked the room because it was quieter than the rest of the kingdom and she could just sit and drink. Angella had seen her polish off an entire bottle of wine during one of her talks with her. The more wine she drank, the meaner she got and if Angella got lucky she’d pass out before her outbursts turned violent.

One particular incident Angella remembered too vividly when she was about thirteen and she had made some friends with some of the children of staff members. She confessed one day to them how her mother would lock her in her room every night so one night they broke in, stealing the key from one of the drawers in the study after her mother passed out at the desk. She could never quite figure out how they got past the Queen’s guards but she wondered how many of them looked the other way when it came to Isabella. Angella had never had so much fun as they raided the kitchen and ate junk food. It all ended when one of the castle guards caught them and commanded Angella to come with them to the study. Isabella was furious and demanded Angella tell her the names of the children she was with so she could fire their parents for not controlling them. Angella did not want to be responsible for anyone losing their jobs and subjecting them to her mother’s wrath. She refused and saw her mother walk over to the fireplace where she had already had a poker sitting in the fire. When her mother waved her hand and put what had to be a shield over the room preventing anyone coming in or out, Angella knew it more likely to make the room sound proof so no one could hear what was to happen next. Isabella yanked the glove off Angela’s right hand and pressed the poker onto the back of it. She screamed louder than she ever had as she felt the skin burn away.

Looking at her hand now, the scar was barely visible but it was there. Right after that, her mother turned sweet and cleaned and put some sort of salve on the burn before wrapping a bandage on it. She told her to keep the glove on and if it didn’t get better to come to her and not the healer. The kingdom knew she was mean and didn’t challenge her in any way, but if it had gotten out she was abusing a child, they might revolt. Angella knew some knew of her abuse but were too scared to doing anything about it. Cora had suspected it but Angella swore her to secrecy fearing if she did confront Isabella she would end up on the Queen’s executioner’s block which was another of her favorite hobbies besides drinking. When Angella took to the throne she had the block destroyed and ordered that capital punishment be outlawed throughout Bright Moon and all the other kingdoms under her rule. She hadn’t heard of any executions in any of the other kingdoms since that order except for maybe Salineas which had a few of their prisoners “accidentally” drowned but no one could prove it was intentional.

Feeling a stirring under her rib cage, Angella smiled and placed her hand on her belly. She said to her unborn child, “Now you’re waking up. You know I’m going to have to find some way to keep you awake all day so you’re not kicking me all night keeping me awake”.

A hard kick got her right in the ribs. 'Ouch, that did kind of hurt', Angella thought as she rubbed the spot where she had felt it, “Oh, I see how it is. Why do I get the feeling you’re going to be a handful? Even though it was kind of funny when you kicked your daddy in the head last night. Surprised him if anything”.

Angella grabbed one of the books she was working on and reached over to put it on the shelf behind her. She noticed one book she had forgotten all about. After putting the accounting book back on the shelf she grabbed the other book. It was a book written in by former rulers with little histories and accomplishments and a family tree. Almost like a diary that kept getting passed down and added onto throughout the years. It ended with Angella with just a small segment written by her predecessor, her mother, about being the daughter of Queen Isabella and King Marangelo. She thought to herself perhaps she needed to start adding to it like her ascension to the throne, the Princess alliance against the Horde, her marriage to Micah, and soon she’d add in the birth of their daughter. Flipping the pages back, Angella saw her mother had written quite a bit about her accomplishments or what her mother claimed to be her accomplishments. Her mother had written about the “victory” at Scorpion Hill shortly after the Horde’s arrival. She made it sound like she had single handedly won the battle when in reality she wasn’t there and they had been humiliated and lost the kingdom. She didn’t send enough soldiers and when the general ordered a retreat against her orders, she was furious. She demanded he go back with his army even though the infirmary was filled with injured and dying soldiers. When she demanded he take the injured soldiers and not to retreat unless she said so, he refused and told the Queen in the throne room in front of hundreds where to put her order and was beheaded right after that. Flipping the page, Angella did not want to remember that day as she had been there to witness his execution. She was a little heartbroken as she skimmed through her mother’s history that there was no mention of her like nothing about when she had been born which she felt would be a milestone in a monarch’s reign. The birth of an heir. Her mother wrote how she gave to the poor which Angella knew was a lie. Until she had taken over as Queen, the villages were living in squalor with no food and residents living on the street. There was no reason for it as Bright Moon had the money which was basically stolen from the citizens. Angella gave it back to them and to this day felt she had to apologize for the pain and suffering they endured under her mother.

Taking a sip from her water glass, Angella almost spit it out when she saw how Isabella had written how Bright Moon had never flourished as it had under her reign and she was well loved by her subjects. She went back a little farther and came upon her mother’s predecessor, Angella’s great uncle King Mayar. She remembered a moment one night when her mother was somewhat civil to her and made her have a seat in this study. She even poured Angella a glass of wine. Angella did enjoy a glass of wine once in a while but the stuff her mother drank was way too rich in taste. It was a very expensive red wine that Isabella had brought over from Plumeria and she always made sure she had plenty of it on hand.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(Flashback)

Just seventeen, Princess Angella, sat on the chair across from the desk of Queen Isabella. She took a sip of the glass her mother had poured from her and tried not to make a face as her mother would most likely notice and say something like “You don’t like it. It’s very expensive so I expect you drink it all”.

Downing a glass of wine and then pouring herself another, Isabella looked at Angella and said, “You think I’m hard on you?”

“Um..no” Angella replied, knowing she’d be beaten if she told the truth.

“Liar. You think I’m the worst mother ever but you don’t know how lucky you are to have me for your mother”

Speechless, Angella thought to herself how lucky she was to have a mother who physically and mentally abused her daily and left various scars on her hands and arms forcing her to wear gloves all the time. She wished even for one moment her mother would hug her and tell her she loved her and how proud she was of her but that never or would never happen.

Downing almost half the glass she had just filled, Isabella asked her, “You know who was ruler of Bright Moon before me?”

Angella just shook her head yes.

Slamming the glass down so hard Angella was surprised she didn’t break it, Isabella asked her, “Well, then who. I asked you a question”

“King Mayar”

“Very good and my father was Prince Janus, his younger twin brother. Quite a rarity for beings like us to produce and even more of a rarity to have twins. The laws of succession and those few minutes screwed my father from the throne. Well, my father committed unspeakable crimes against several women around the kingdom and when they started coming forward, they did not know if it was him or my uncle since they looked exactly the same. Thankfully my grandmother, Queen Angella II, was in good with the Sorcerer’s Guild of Mystacor and after a few truth spells, my father confessed to the crimes. My grandmother sentenced my father to death and then was so heartbroken that she drank poison, one of the few potions to kill an immortal angelic being. Crimson Tears they called it. Very rare but depending on how much you ingest, you can either take a week to die or die a horrific death instantly, bleeding from every orifice as your internal organs dissolve. With my grandmother they weren’t sure what happened at first as her heart just gave out after feeling unwell for a week. It was the red tears that flowed from her eyes that gave them the clue. Natural causes won’t kill us”

“How awful”

Angella regretted opening her mouth as Isabella slammed her hands on the table, stood up with her wings fanning out, “Excuse me but I’m telling the story. Did I give you permission to speak?”

“No, Your Majesty”

“Good, now moving on. My mother, after her mourning period ended married my uncle, the good twin. Why she could look at the same face that terrorized the kingdom I could never figure out but after that, she looked at me with hate and disgust, the seed of the evil twin. Told me I would be just like him. I was just a little girl. I was the heir to the throne after my uncle until my little half-sister was born. I was cast aside and never was given a second look around the kingdom. I overheard someone tell my uncle how they were so overjoyed she was born because they never would want to see the offspring of Prince Janus on the throne. My little sister was just two years old when they had an outdoor ball and unsupervised, she wandered off. Couldn’t find her for days until her tiny crushed body was found down river. Apparently she had fallen off the cliff and into the river down below. Her wings were not fully developed and even then she wouldn’t know how to use them. Have you ever heard the sound of a child’s body as it hits solid rock before tumbling down into the river? I can imagine it must be a gruesome sound”

The color drained from Angella’s face at those last few sentences. She took her glass and managed to force down an even larger sip and then another.

Finishing the rest of her glass and then filling another Isabella said, “Of course my mother blamed me and I knew she would but it was ruled an accident. My mother never beat me but would have if my uncle didn’t take pity on me and defended me on so many occasions. The Angelic Demon Princess I think she called me on more than one occasion. You should be so lucky you’re the last. You’ll never have to worry about a replacement. For almost 100 years I ruled this kingdom and should never have had you. We immortals have fertility problems as is and like mortals, we only have so long where we can reproduce. Immortal we are supposedly, but since we can’t help getting ourselves killed, killing ourselves, or killing each other I wouldn’t be surprised if our average life span is that of a mortal now. If I were to go, you are it, Angella. No one comes after you. Your father named you after Angella I, one of the best Queens this kingdom has ever had. The second one and most likely if we ever have a third one, complete failures”.

Staring at her empty glass, Angella was a little surprised she had finished it. It wasn’t that she enjoyed the taste of it but found that it dulled her senses and made her more relaxed as she was always on edge in the presence of her mother.

“I see you actually enjoy my wine. Here, have another” Isabella said and without asking she reached over the decanter and filled up Angella’s glass. She then filled her own and held it out to Angella as if to give a toast. “Here’s to the Angelic Demon Queen. Long may she reign”.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(Present)

Closing the book, Angella had had enough for one night. She was exhausted. One highlight of her baby shower was seeing her nursemaid, Cora. Angella told her that Queen Isabella may have given birth to her but she was her mother. Even though she only took care of her those first few years, it was through no fault of her own she couldn’t always be there for her. Cora made an effort to try to see her as much as she could after that and her presence was always soothing. When Angella hugged her and told her “Congratulations, Grandma”, Cora broke down in tears and she would love to see her grandchild and to not hesitate to bring her around often.

` On her way to quarters to retire for the night, Micah came rushing up to her in the hallway.

“There you are, Angie. I was wondering where you disappeared to. I figured you found someplace quiet to take a nap” Micah said.

“I found someplace quiet but didn’t nap. Don‘t think I’d be able to fall asleep if I had tried”

“Come on. I want to show you something” Micah said, excitement in his voice.

“I’m coming, love, but you forget I’ve been pregnant for almost eight moons and do not move too fast nowadays” Angella said as Micah came back took her hand.

Entering the royal nursery which could be accessed from their own chambers, Angella was amazed at some of the work Micah had done. All her gifts were already in the room including a seashell lamp courtesy of Salineas and a whole cabinet of special diapers from Plumeria that would admit a flowery scent, completely masking the smell when changing her. A mobile with little moons hung over her crib. Micah had enchanted the sky look like an actual nighttime sky only with stars which had not been seen from their planet for over a thousand years.

“Do you like it?” Micah asked as he wrapped his arm around hers.

“I love it. She will love it” Angella said as she patted her belly.

Placing one hand around her waist and another on her belly Micah said, “You and our baby girl mean the world to me”. He bent over to kiss her belly and said to his unborn daughter, “And I cannot wait to meet you, baby girl. Promise me you won’t kick me in the head like last time”.

Kissing his forehead after he stood up, Angella smiled and said, “I can’t promise she won’t, my love, and neither can she. I just have this feeling we are going to have our work cut out for us”.


	6. The River Runs Red

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Queen Isabella continues to spiral out of control making her kingdom, especially Princess Angella, live in fear for their lives.

Ever since yesterday evening when Queen Isabella had gotten word that Scorpion Hill had been taken over by the Horde and Bright Moon retreated against her orders, she had been in a foul mood. Angella was surprised her mother was even up and walking around this morning. Last night Isabella had shut herself in her study and a few hours later emerged, barely able to walk and stinking of wine. Angella had not seen it, but her mother tried to fly up to the moonstone platform and instead slammed into the side of it, knocking herself out. Luckily she had landed on the walkway. If she had missed it she would have landed in the river far below and possibly drowned. Concerned for her mother, Angella went to the infirmary and stood by her bedside, holding her hand until she woke up. When she woke up, all she said was, “I bet you’re disappointed to see I’m not dead yet” before falling asleep again. 

Standing next to the throne, Angella watched as her mother shifted her weight repeatedly to get comfortable and rub her temples as if trying to rub out a headache. And yet, the Queen had a glass of wine in her hand, only she was sipping it slowly this time. General Oberon was summoned into the throne room. He was an older gentleman with black hair greying at the temples. Angella didn’t know him all that well but he was always friendly and smiled at her whenever she ran into him.

Looking down the steps from the throne, Isabella’s eyes narrowed as she said, “General Oberon, who gave you the order to retreat?”

“I did, Your Majesty. We were outnumbered and being slaughtered. We…..”

He didn’t get to finish and as Isabella raised her hand and yelled, “Did I say you could retreat? You don’t give the orders. I do. My orders were to keep fighting. Now we lost one of our kingdoms because you high tailed and ran handing it over to the Horde. You might as well gave it them”.

“Your Majesty, we would have lost more soldiers. We all would have been slaughtered if I hadn’t gotten our remaining soldiers out of there”

“I never gave you permission to make any calls, General. Now take what remains of the army and go back there and take it back. Disobey and the last sound you hear will be the singing of my blade”

Angella noticed the General tense up. She knew that he knew he would be dead either way. He took a step forward and in a more firm voice said, “Your Majesty, we cannot. We are spread too thin and if we march an army back to Scorpion Hill, it will be our last. We don’t have the numbers”

Standing up, Isabella threw the wine glass against the wall. It would have hit Angella in the wing if she hadn’t folded it in towards herself the last minute. Over the years, she could tell when her mother would have one of her temper tantrums and she knew she had to anticipate it. Once it had actually hit Angella on one of her wings. It didn’t break, but on impulse, she shook her wing, sending it right back at her mother. The glass shattered on the arm rest of the throne, sending wine and shards of glass in her mother’s lap. It was an accident, but she had gotten several whacks on her back by her mother’s belt. She had bruises on her back and some of her feathers had gotten ripped out of her wings.

“I am the Queen and I am giving an order. Now gather up your army, including the injured that can still stand and hold a weapon and get back out there. You can either take the kingdom back or die trying. Now do you understand, General?”

General Oberon looked sternly at the Queen and threw down his helmet. Looking her square in the eyes, he said, “Your Majesty, you can take your orders and shove them….”

Gasps were heard all over the throne room. Angella didn’t quite hear the rest of what he said but could only assume when her mother screamed, “Enough!” as her wings fanned out. 

Isabella took a step down and yelled, “Guards, take him outside”. She pointed at a female guard and commanded, “You! Bring me my sword”.

After witnessing several of Queen Isabella’s public executions where most were done on a whim after she lost her temper like today, Angella trained her mind to go numb and almost block it out. Maybe sort of like how the Plumerians meditated where she just closed her eyes and went to another place. She was six years old when she had witnessed her first execution. A girl, in her late teens or early twenties had gotten caught stealing food. Looking back now, she was probably starving and did what she could to survive. Her mother did nothing for the townspeople except raise their taxes. When her mother commanded her guards to take her to watch the execution, protests could be heard from the throne room as they yelled, “She’s just a child”. Angella may have been really young but she could remember it vividly as she was forced to watch. She remembered the girl pleading for her life and the whistle as the blade came down. There was so much blood. She wet herself and of course that angered her mother as it embarrassed her. She had gotten a really bad beaten and afterwards her mother locked her in her room, telling her she could either sleep in her wet clothes or sleep naked.

The guard came back with the sword and held it out towards Isabella. Angella watched her mother reach out to take it, and then stop. She turned and looked at her and said, “No, give it to Angella. If she happens to end up on the throne one day she needs to learn how we do justice in Bright Moon”

The whole room almost seemed to blur, as Angella felt ice water pulse through her veins, numbing her. No. She couldn’t do it. She could never take the life of someone. The guard didn’t move as she looked at Angella with a look of sorrow.

“No, no, I can’t. Please, Moth…Your Majesty” Angella said, her voice shaky.

Walking over to Angella, wings still somewhat flared and raised above her head, Isabella stared straight into her eyes. Angella, almost eighteen years old, had grown to be as tall as her mother but her mother was still far more intimidating. Her pink eyes burrowing into Angella’s violet eyes, Isabella said with firmness, “You can and you will. Or you will take his place on the block”.

Gesturing to the guard to hand over the sword, still in its sheath, Isabella took it and shoved it at Angella. Angella felt frozen. When her mother yelled, “Take it!” she reluctantly took it. She felt tears form in her eyes. Isabella slammed her hand onto the wall above Angella’s shoulder, trapping her between her and the wall. “And stop crying. Just what we need is an executioner balling her eyes out”.

The walk to the block was all a blur and the next thing Angella knew she was standing at the block with the sword still in its sheath. Two guards had brought over General Oberon and forced him onto his knees. Angella was sweating. She looked over at her mother who was staring right at her, wings fanned out, and arms crossed.

“The sword works better out of its sheath” Isabella said.

Angella looked around at the crowd. All eyes on her, she felt herself shaking as she pulled the sword slowly out of its sheath. She lifted it and then looked at General Oberon with his head on the block. He was looking right at her. She couldn’t do it.

The General said, “It’s okay, Princess. This isn’t your fault”

The sword suddenly felt heavy as Angella felt her arms lower. She lifted it back up but it felt like lead, as she held it over the General’s neck. She began to feel dizzy, as she saw the sword in her hand split into two swords.

“Do it! Do it now!” screamed Isabella.

Angella lifted the sword, and suddenly everything started spinning and she stumbled backwards. She dropped the sword on the ground as she bent over and vomited. She felt someone slam into her side and knock her down. She looked up and in one quick motion she saw her mother pick up the sword and swing it downward. The head hit the ground as blood pooled on the ground and around the executioner’s block. Isabella walked over to Angella, still holding the sword dripping with blood. Dropping the sword on the ground, she reached down and grabbed a hold of the hair on the back on Angella’s neck.

“Get up! Get up!” Angella heard her mother scream.

Tears were blurring her vision. Her legs wobbled under her as she tried to stand, with her mother pulling on her. This is it. Immortal angelic being and her life was about to end before her eighteenth birthday. Angella did not try to fight it as she wanted to get it over with. Life had to be better on the other side. Her mother was quick with the blade so it would be a painless death.

“Come on” Isabella urged, as she pulled Angella by the back of the neck away from the block. She let go and pushed her to go forward.

“What? Where are we going?” Angella asked, as she slowed down and looked back at her mother.

“Keep walking and don’t stop” snapped Isabella.

They kept walking until they were at the cliff where the river wrapped around behind the main throne room. The cliff was much steeper and river was much faster. Isabella grabbed Angella by the back of the neck again and forced her onto her knees. Her mother screamed in her ear, “Look down!”

Sobbing, Angella looked down and even though she could fly, the river raging down below scared her. If her mother meant to send her off the edge, she’d make it so she couldn’t fly. Knock her unconscious, maybe.

“I could do it, you know. Pull every one of your feathers out of your wings and toss you over the edge. If you’re lucky you’d hit your head first on the rocks, killing you instantly, or the river pulls you under and you slowly drown, fighting the current as your lungs fill up with water, choking the life out of you. Maybe they’ll find you down river and maybe not” Isabella said, as her grip got tighter.

“Why are you doing this, Mom? Why?” sobbed Angella.

“You’re weak and pathetic and a coward. Why must I be cursed with such a pathetic weakling for an heir?”

“I’m sorry, Mom. I’m sorry I failed you”

“You need to learn your place, Angella. You need to learn to obey my orders and my orders were for you to execute that man. Not vomit all over the executioner’s block and embarrass all of Bright Moon. Maybe I should throw you into that river. Do the kingdom a favor. My little sister hit her head so hard on those rocks it nearly decapitated her. That would be if you’re lucky”

“Just do it. Just kill me” Angella sobbed.

“I already tried once but you were determined to come into my life”

“What? You tried to kill me? When? Why?”

“Before you were born. The leaves of the Spring Safflower. Brewed into a tea it is given to women past their due date to induce labor so I started drinking it four months early but you were stubborn and didn’t come out until you could survive. I never wanted an heir but it was expected of me. I don’t need an heir. I suppose accidents do happen if you look at our track record but it won’t be happening to me”

Feeling herself pushed chest first into the ground, Isabella had used her to push herself off to stand back up. Angella laid there and sobbed, as she lifted her head slightly to look down over the edge at the river raging below. Her mother wanted her dead, had always wanted her dead. All her life she wanted just once to hear her mother tell her she loved her. But that had never happened and probably would never happen. For years she lived in fear of getting beat and berated, but today was the first time she feared for her life. She could run away, but where would she go? Her mother controlled the most powerful kingdom on Etheria and controlled all the other kingdoms. There was no place she could go where her mother would not find her.

“Angella! Get up”, yelled Isabella as she was walking back toward the castle.

Slowly getting to her feet, Angella almost lost her balance but spread her wings to keep from falling over. If she took off flying, her mother would just blast her down. She had no magic. It came from the moonstone which she shared with Isabella but only had a small portion of it so she would need to recharge under it, but her mother would not let her. On rare occasions when the Queen got so drunk she passed out or when one of the healers would sometimes knock her out with a heavy sedative when she demanded pain medication, sometimes she’d sneak up there to recharge and then practice by herself in her room. She had a picture hanging up on the wall in her room covering up the stick figure of her mother she drew which she used as target practice.

Walking back into the castle, Angella followed her mother through the long winding corridors. After walking up a few flights of stairs, she could hear the voices of a couple of male guards laughing. Isabella stopped and then put her hand up to get her to stop.

“You should have seen her last night. Oh, it was so awesome. Smacked herself right into the side of the platform and fell flat on her face on the walkway. Just barely missed falling into the river. I wish she would have fallen into the river. All of Bright Moon would rejoice. All of Etheria would rejoice” laughed one of the voices.

Grabbing a hold of her wrist, Isabella pulled Angella through a door and up the stairs which led to one of the guard towers. They got to the top, and two male guards just went as white as sheep.

“Um..Your Majesty. Hello. You’re looking nice today” said one of the guards which Angella recognized as the voice that was mocking the Queen.

Isabella stormed up to the guard and reaching up with one hand, grabbed him by the throat. She pinned him against the ramparts and got about an inch of his face, her pink bloodshot eyes filled with rage. “You think that was funny?”

The other guard looked over at Angella. He was not much older than her and looked absolutely petrified. Past the ramparts was a one hundred foot drop and the guard Isabella had a hold of was looking at both the Queen and glancing down as she pushed him until he was almost bending backwards.

“I asked you a question. Did you think that was funny?”

“No, no, Your Majesty, I did not think it was funny at all. I am so glad you are okay” stammered the guard.

“Very good. I’m glad to hear that. Thank you for your concern” Isabella said, as she let go off the guard’s throat and then turned to walk away.

Puzzled, Angella was thinking that was not like her mother. She was just going to accept that and walk away. But then within a few seconds, Isabella turned around and with one hand, slammed it into the guard’s chest with such force that he fell backwards over the ramparts. Angella screamed before putting her hands over her mouth. Tears filled her eyes. She almost vomited again as she heard the guard’s screams getting quieter and then ending with a sickening thud. She saw her mother approach the other guard whom Angella had noticed wet himself.

“You heard something and he leaned over to investigate and got a little too close to the edge and lost his balance. You got that?” Isabella asked.

“Yes, yes, Your Majesty” he stammered.

“Then good, run along and alert the others and if I hear you told a different story, your head will be on that chopping block first thing tomorrow”

“Yes, Your Majesty, will do”

The guard took off running. Isabella started back down the stairs and called back, “Let’s go, Angella. We have duties to attend to. The staff with clean up the mess below”

Swallowing bile that had started to come up, Angella took a deep breath and followed her mother.

After a day of meetings where Angella followed her mother around like a whipped puppy, she had to sit down to the dinner with her. Pushing the plate away from her, she had not much of an appetite despite the burning sensation she felt in her stomach and throat knowing she needed to eat at least something. Her mother, who was already on what she thought was her third wine glass, noticed this and said, “I see you’re watching your weight. Good, no one wants to see a fat princess”.

“May I be excused, Your Majesty” Angella asked, her head down, waiting for a reprimand. The 17-year-old princess had never been fat, if anything she was too skinny. She heard from the whispers that she was just a shell of her former self, whatever her former self was or even if she had a former self. She was just there, waking up each morning, living each day wondering if the day would be good or bad. A good day her mother ignored her and pretended she did not exist or a bad day where she would go to bed with cuts, bruises, and broken bones. It didn’t matter what she said or did or whether she did anything at all, just a sneeze or not looking a certain way could set her mother off on a rage. After the events today, she was uncertain if she would be alive the next rage.

Queen Isabella finished her third glass in one swallow and gestured for the server to fill it again. “Go. Get out of my face” she mumbled as she started working on her fourth glass.

Standing up, bowing to her mother, Angella walked away. She then turned, looked at the Queen and still to this day was not sure what prompted her to ask the question, “Mother, do you love me?”

Never once looking up at her daughter, Isabella replied, “No, never have. Now you wanted to be excused. So leave”.

It felt like a knife forged in the Kingdom of Snows was driven right through her heart, spreading like a disease through her blood stream, chilling her all over. She knew, she had always known, but hearing those exact words actually coming out of her mother’s mouth was worse than any beating she had ever gotten. She turned and walked out, no destination in mind, only where her feet that seemed to be working on their own took her. She was aware of other’s presences as she walked the halls, but it didn’t seem to register as her whole body had gone completely numb.

Angella found herself outside, far beyond the courtyard, on a cliff looking down at the river raging below. It seemed like days ago but it was only this morning when her mother threated to pull all the feathers out of her wings and throw her over the edge. She also remembered a story of one of her ancestors, a King who married a mortal woman who became pregnant, which never happened whenever an angelic being and mortal had gotten together. She and the baby both died in child birth and the distraught king folded his wings close to his body and jumped to his death off the highest tower in Bright Moon. Since then that section of the castle had long since been abandoned, as rumors of it being haunted had spread across the kingdom. It was eventually blocked off from the rest of the castle and left to rot, slowly being consumed by nature and neglect. Angella thought of that guard and his family. Would that tower be unmanned now? Suppose not, as any guard would would rather deal with the haunting of the horror that took place earlier that day than deal with Queen Isabella.

Folding her wings in tight to her body, Angella took a deep breath, the last deep breath she would take in her lifetime, a short life but one filled with pain and sadness. Almost in slow motion, she stepped off the cliff and felt the air rush into her lungs as she plummeted toward the raging waters. Would her mother even notice she was gone or even miss her? Would anyone in the kingdom miss her she like she had even existed to begin with? She had no idea what made her do it and even to this day she can’t figure out what made her suddenly extended her wings out just as she was about to hit the rocks jutting out from the waters rushing past her. The momentum made the air feel like her wings had hit something solid. A sickening crack and sharp pain like what could have felt like being hit by a flaming arrow made her realize one of her wings was broken. On instinct she managed to use her remaining wing and jerked herself enough along with pushing off a rock with her foot that landed hard on her front on solid ground. Her broken wing laid spread out from her. Angella buried her face into her arms, nose practically in the dirt and just sobbed. It was a relief when the physical and emotional pain were so great that she passed out right there on the shore, with the water roaring next to her, on the edges of the Bright Moon and the Whispering Woods.


	7. Ghosts from the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the baby arriving any day, Angella goes for a walk, still not able to shake the demons of her past.

A gust of wind howled eerily through the almost vacant halls of Castle Bright Moon. Were there ghosts? Was one of them her mother? There were times when for a split second Angella thought she saw her, out of the corner of her eye, standing there with her trademark scowl, angry pink eyes burying into her soul with hatred. When she’d turn to look there would be no one there. A chill would move throughout her body, with a fleeting thought her mother would come out of the shadows and wrap her cold dead hands around her neck, choking the life out of her. Then she would hear the words that forever haunted her, "You did this. It was you”.

Maybe it was the stillness and silence that Angella needed as she couldn’t sleep. She tossed and turned and feared she’d wake up Micah, so she decided to go take a walk. During the day, all she ever wanted was to sleep. The midwives had told her the baby would arrive any day now. She was exhausted and so emotional to the point she’d cry at the drop of a hat or little things would irritate her and she’d snap at someone. When she had an emotional outburst and snapped at Micah, she felt so bad afterwards and came to him sobbing. He was very understanding and held her in his arms. She loved him so much and felt so grateful he had come into her life. He was an amazing husband and she had no doubt in her mind he would be an amazing father to their baby girl. There seemed to be already a bond between them when every night before bed he would kiss her belly and talk to their daughter. There were many times when Angella had trouble sleeping because she’d be awake, kicking her and when he would talk to her, his soothing voice would calm her down.

There were many things Angella had been so naïve about as she was growing up including intimate relations. Her mother never talked to her about it. It was a well-known secret that Queen Isabella had entertained many men and some women in her chambers at night. She never formed any bonds with any of them. She never formed any bonds with anyone, including her own daughter. Angella wished she had known her father. She barely remembered him and what she could remember, she never felt the fear she felt from her mother. Stories Angella had heard through the years were pieced together in her mind and gave her a good idea on what kind of relationship they had which there pretty much wasn’t one. The Queen’s advisors had found out there was one other angelic being left on the planet, a male, and insisted she marry to carry on the line. She flat out refused as she felt being immortal she didn’t need an heir, but many years and many monarchs proved that immortality did not mean invincible. Upon meeting Marangelo, Angella’s father, she took no interest. Angella had heard he was very good looking and the fact he was an angelic being attracted the interest of many women and some men in the kingdom. When it seemed most of the kingdom pined for his interest, Isabella soon took interest. She then pursued him and charmed her way into his heart. She loved walking around the kingdom with him on her arm, seeing the jealous stares as the most desirable bachelor was soon to be hers. The charade ended when they married and she lost all interest and ignored him until his attention went elsewhere, as he sought the love he didn’t have with his wife. It was only then Isabella would feign interest and draw him in, until he was a puddle in the palm of her hands and then go back to treating him worse than she treated her servants. Angella could only imagine the disappointment her mother felt when one of her tactics to control her father resulted in her. When her father grew tired and had had enough, it was the end of him.

The baby stirred and Angella placed one hand underneath her belly and the other above. She felt an intense overwhelming love for the child growing inside of her. An unexpected surprise created out of the love she shared with Micah. Angella felt a twinge of sadness when she thought how she was never created out of love but out of lies and manipulation. Her mother never wanted her father but she didn’t want anyone else to have him either. Angella could never understand it herself but she both loved and hated her mother. She’d never forget that day when she clung to her mother, screaming for help as everyone just watched in horror. Even then, when she felt hands wrap around her throat, she saw through the look rage on her mother’s face and at the same time felt an extreme amount of terror.

If she had died before her mother, Angella would sometimes wonder if she would mourn for her. She quickly put that thought in the back of her mind as she was sure she knew the answer already. After all, her mother had told her she tried to kill her before she was born by drinking tea made from spring safflower leaves. She had heard on more than one occasion the words, “I wish you’d never been born” and “You were a mistake”.

It was between her fifth and sixth month that Angella realized she would never be her mother. It was under the moonstone where Angella and Micah had been so overjoyed over winning one of their first battles against the Horde and the adrenaline was still kicking from their fight that they didn’t want to wait until they got back to the castle. The energy of the moonstone, a symbol of fertility surged through her and never had their lovemaking been as intense and passionate as that night. The moonstone exploded into several different color lights and Angella had thought her connection to it had done something, but it was then that they conceived. She had been to the moonstone platform one time after that and that was when she had told Micah their news. When a bout of sickness sent her to the healer, she was surprised to learn she was with child. She found that time spent near the moonstone brought about an improvement in her illness. About two months later, she felt very tired and contributed that to her pregnancy, but when she collapsed one night after dinner, there was something else wrong. It was Micah’s sister, a student at Mystacor that spent day in and day out reading various books in the Bright Moon library trying to find a reason why Angella grew weaker and weaker every day.

When one of the midwives told her that because her child was a hybrid between an angelic being and a mortal sorcerer there was a chance the baby was incompatible with her mother and needed to be removed as soon as she stood a chance at life or it could kill her, Angella had never been so furious and fired her on the spot. The midwife referred to her child as a hybrid and a half breed like it was a soul sucking monster or tumor draining the life out of her and needed to be destroyed. Angella wondered if the woman had been possessed by the ghost of her mother with her insensitivity. The child might have a chance at life, Angella had heard her say. Might. If she let her baby die to save herself she would never forgive herself.

Feeling the life drain from her and the life of her unborn child dwindling, Angella had been told her face looked an ashen gray. She tearfully made Micah promise that if given the choice to save her or the baby, she wanted her child to have a chance at life. She would fight to stay alive as long as she could and told Micah and the healers to do whatever it took to save her baby. Angella doesn’t remember what happened but was told she lost consciousness. Her heart may have even stopped and the healers rushed to prepare for surgery to take her child. Just as they were about to cut, Castaspella had barged into the room yelling that they had to get her to the moonstone platform now. The healers and midwives had protested but Micah chose to trust his sister.

Waking up under the moonstone, Angella had no memory of what happened before she lost consciousness. She was in a bed Micah had probably conjured up with his magic like he had done the night they had conceived their child. Her first words when she awoke were asking Micah, who had not left her side, “Did our baby make it?” She was so overjoyed when she was told she would carry to term with no difficulties as long as she went to the moonstone frequently, especially when she started feeling weak. Castaspella had pieced together that it was recommended that when Queens were pregnant that they bask in the glow of the moonstone to help them energize because if the fetus was a female and formed a connection, it would slowly drain the energy from the mother. They never almost killed the mother, but Queens would take their female heirs to the moonstone a few days after birth and it helped them grow stronger. Angella wouldn’t have known that if it weren’t for Castaspella as her mother never told her anything. She had been taken there as a baby when she was close to death but not by her mother. The head healer, Zinnia, used to give Isabella sedatives disguised as pain pills to knock her out for a few hours so Angella could charge under the moonstone. Sometimes Zinnia would have one of the servants put sedatives in her mother’s wine. She had always told Angella it was so easy to get Isabella to take something without her knowing since she was always too drunk to notice a difference in taste.

Was it the fact that the baby was not a full blooded angelic being and was the offspring of a great sorcerer that she drained so much energy it nearly killed her? Angella did not think twice about protecting the life of her child even if it meant sacrificing her own life. She knew her mother would have never done that. Isabella put Isabella first and if that had happened when she was pregnant, it would have been the perfect opportunity to get rid of her. It had taken Angella many years to accept the fact she was meant to happen, even though her mother didn’t mean for her to happen. She would not have made it if wasn’t for those that watched over her and gave her the love she never received from Queen Isabella. Cora was the closest thing she had for mother and she would have been dead if it weren’t for her. Rejected at birth by Isabella after being born tiny and weak due to her drinking stuff to induce labor before her time, Cora did not give up on her.

Walking through the halls, Angella turned down a corridor she very rarely visited. All the former monarchs had a mural put up in all different locations of the castle. A very detailed portrait of Queen Angella I was hung up in the library as she loved to read and was very intellectual. Not too many knew she was Angella, third of her name nor did she reveal it. Then they’d ask about the first and second, and the second had been Angella’s great grandmother who killed herself after being forced to execute her son who committed unspeakable crimes. He was her grandfather, Queen Isabella’s father. Angella’s great uncle became King, married his brother’s widow, her grandmother and they had a daughter who pushed Isabella farther down the line. In a short period of time, their daughter died at two after falling off the same cliff Isabella had threatened to throw her off of and then the King and Queen were found dead in their chambers, believed to be suicide. She wondered why no one talked about it. Angella often wondered if her mother had anything to do with all their deaths. Didn’t anyone wonder why at least four beings of an immortal angelic race just perished during her mother’s lifetime? It had cleared the way for Isabella to take the throne and her reign of terror lasted over one hundred years. Angella had heard Isabella had aged drastically in her last eighteen years even though immortal angelic beings didn’t age after a certain point or die of natural causes. She started drinking a lot more and also smoked some weird herb she’d get from Plumeria. She claimed she only did it socially at events but staff had smelled it in her bedroom. Was it because she was under stress and felt threatened that she had an heir? An heir she couldn’t figure out how to get rid of without suspicion falling on her since everyone seemed to suspect she was responsible for the three deaths of her family members those many years ago and later her husband, Angella’s father. Of course Isabella had blamed Angella for causing her to have wrinkles and gain weight.

After stopping at one point, Angella looked up as she faced the wall and held up her hand, using her magic to generate a ball of light. The mural of Queen Isabella, second of her name. Angella had only learned recently there had been a first many years ago. Whether or not her mother knew or not, she would never let it be known as she wanted to be the only one with her name. Her curly hair was captured. Out stretched wings and standing atop the moonstone chamber, Angella remembered when she was told she should have had her standing on the skulls of those she killed and instead of light orbs in each of her hands, have her holding a wine glass in each one instead. Yes, that would have been more befitting for her mother but out of respect for the Kingdom of Bright Moon and all those that had come before, Isabella had been a Queen for over a hundred years and was part of its history so Angella had the artist make her mural respectable. She did however make sure it was in remote hallway so she wouldn’t have to pass it everyday and look at it.

A dull pain in her back caused Angella to wince a little. She closed her hand, snuffing out the light. If the baby did come out looking like her mother, which was very possible, would she love her any less? Angella felt guilty whenever she thought that. Isabella was a very gorgeous angelic being just going on looks alone. She was as tall as Angella but had a heavier build. They never really looked much alike. They both had the dark purple hair underneath, but whereas Angella had long slightly wavy pink hair, Isabella’s had been very curly and a lavender color. Isabella had pink eyes and Angella purple, but were shaped the same. Angella was said to look more like her father which probably bothered Isabella amongst other things. She sighed and then headed back to her chambers where she would try to sleep the rest of the night.

Waking up, Angella saw how bright it was outside and Micah was already up. She had slept in and began to go into a panic. She had missed the war council meeting. Maybe if she moved fast enough she might at least be there for the end of it. Sometimes they ran late. She knew she had missed it completely when Micah entered their chambers.

“Why didn’t you wake me?” Angella asked, frustrated.

“Angie, I took care of it. I knew you went on one of your midnight walks so I let you sleep in” Micah.

“Why did you do that? I am supposed to be at that meeting”

“No, you are supposed to be resting as the midwives have been telling you but you won’t listen. I took care of everything. Plus, it was more of the same stuff we discuss at every other meeting. Now relax”

Wiping a tear from her cheek, Angella was way more emotional than normal. “I am the Queen and leader of the rebellion. I feel so worthless. I feel like I can’t do anything anymore”.

Sitting down next to her on the bed, Micah wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Angie, Angie, no one thinks that. Our baby will be here any day now and soon you’ll be back in the game. I always feel like you do all the work and now it is my turn to take care of things and let you rest. You’ve needed time off for years. You’re so stressed”.

“I’m sorry. I don’t cry like this all the time”

“I know you don’t. Now I did cancel the rest of the day so all we have to worry about is the party in Erelandia”

“Party? I forgot all about that. Do we have to go?” Angella asked.

“Yes, as the King and Queen and leaders of the rebellion, we have to be there, especially since it’s for the members of the rebellion”

“I don’t have anything to wear. I don’t have anything that fits me anymore”

Chuckling Micah said, “Yes you do. Don’t you remember last week we both got fitted for our formal attire? Nice try though”

“I hate parties. I really do”

“You hate parties? Since when?”

“I’ve always hated them but I go and pretend to enjoy them”

“We don’t have to stay for long. I don’t want to go alone. Well, not alone but please don’t leave me to go with just my sister. I get that you’re pregnant and tire easily”

“I’m not just pregnant, I’m very pregnant and this little girl could arrive any minute. And that is not why I don’t want to go. I’ve never enjoyed parties since I became Queen”

“Why?”

“Let’s just say I don’t have a lot of fond memories. Now I’m starving and need to get something to eat and then we’ll get ready for this stupid party” Angella said as she stood up.

“Okay, Your Majesty, let’s go eat then. I’ll have the staff bring something to our room then”

After eating breakfast or lunch or whatever since she didn’t know what time it was anymore, Angella needed something more and went down to the kitchen to get some cake. She had run into Castaspella. After quickly devouring the cake, she went back to her chambers. There she tried on her gown and after looking at herself in a full length mirror, she started to cry.

Entering the room, Micah exclaimed, “Wow. You look absolutely stunning. Everyone is going to be filled with jealousy when I walk in with you on my arm”

“Admit it. I’m huge. I’m as big as this castle”

Taking her hand in his, Micah said, “Oh, Angie, I don’t think that at all. You are carrying our child. That makes you even more beautiful”.

“That’s not what Casta says”

Dropping his hands at his side, Micah suddenly looked angry. “What did my sister say?”

“I ran into her by the kitchens and she said I am getting huge”

Micah laughed and Angella felt herself about ready to cry again. “That’s not funny. So you do think I’m huge”

“No, it’s just that you are the Queen and a powerful figure amongst all the other kingdom and you let a teenage girl who got suspended for picking a fight with an older student and somehow managing to blow up a whole row of toilets in Mystacor get to you. Casta is a jerk and you have my permission to blast her across the room with one of your energy blasts. If you won’t do it, I will”

“No, don’t say or do anything to her. You’re right. She is young and didn’t mean anything by it”

“She needs to learn respect. You may be her sister by law but you are also the Queen and she should not say things like that to you. She is seventeen, almost an adult, and she needs to start acting like it”

“Still let her come with us. She did save mine and the baby’s life. So her suspension was actually a blessing”

“And I am forever grateful for that” Micah said as he walked over and kissed Angella as he placed both of his hands on either side of her belly. “That still doesn’t erase the fact she blew up toilets and then lied about it, forgetting the fact that all spells leave a trace, tracing it back to the caster which any of the instructors can do”.

Clapping his hands together Micah then exclaimed, “Now let’s get ready and let’s go. Instead of using magic we are going to just relax on the way there in the carriage. It will be a romantic date night for us. Well, except my sister will be with us”

The sky was already starting to get dark early since it was late fall. Angella walked down the halls, her arm linked around Micah’s. She smiled as she looked over at him. No matter what the situation, he always cheered her up and made her feel comfortable. She loved him with all her heart. He was going to be a wonderful father. She wondered if she could be as great a mother to their little girl.

Looking around, Angella asked, “Where is Casta? She is still coming with us?”

“Yes, and she better meet us at the carriage in fifteen minutes or we’re leaving without her. She has that magic tether around her ankle so she can’t use magic during her suspension so she couldn’t catch up to us”

Turning to one of the guards, Micah commanded, “Go find my sister and tell her to meet us at the carriage like now”

They were almost to the exit, when Angella felt a sharp pain that reverberated through her back and belly. She let go of Micah and placed her hand on her back and then used her other hand to brace herself against the wall. Micah quickly had one arm around her waist and the other he took her hand in his.

“Angie, what is it? Are you okay?” Micah asked, concerned.

“Help me back to our chambers, Love. Guards, get the midwives and tell them to meet us there” Angella said as she tried to straighten out her back.

Jokingly, Micah still couldn’t hide the excitement in his voice when he said, “Well, you could have just said you really didn’t want to go to this party”.


	8. The Threat Within

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "The stronger you are...the more she will hate you and try to break you"...unknown
> 
> Angella recovers as her self absorbed mother, Isabella ignores the outside threat, choosing to focus on her own needs and letting her own subjects decline into poverty.

When Princess Angella seemed to become aware of her existence, she felt like she was falling. She saw glimpses of her past, including some of her earliest memories. She was snuggled up in the arms of Cora as a toddler, as she was rocked to sleep. Next thing she was a little older and playing in the garden. Cora would lift her up over her head, as she spread her wings, pretending she was flying. She didn’t know anyone else with wings and was super excited when she started flapping them lifting her up off the ground a few feet before she would fall. Her eyes filled with wonder when she had first met the Queen of Bright Moon, this tall beautiful angelic being with large wings. Would she grow up to have wings like that? Would she ever grow to be as tall and majestic? When Cora had told her that was her mother she thought she was being funny. Her wonder turned to fear when this woman practically yanked her out of Cora’s arms. Told her she’d be going to court and needed to stop crying. She remembered reaching for Cora and crying, wondering what she had done wrong that she was being given away. She didn’t want to go with this woman. Angels weren’t supposed to be mean, were they? After the Queen had paraded her around court, she was shoved into the arms of a servant and told to take that brat back to Cora. After that, whenever the Queen would come to Cora’s chambers, Angella would feel knots form in her stomach. Sometimes she tried to hide under her bed only to feel nails dig into her arm or leg and forcibly yanked out from under. Soon she saw less and less of Cora and then the Queen simply refused to take her back to what she considered home. She’d be locked in a room at night, where she’d cry herself to sleep. She did not understand why she was being punished by the Queen. This wasn’t her mother. Her mother was not this winged beast. She remembered crying and struggling to get free from the Queen’s grasp as she wanted to get back to Cora, who was crying herself. Then one night and Queen told her she would not be seeing Cora again and that night while locked in, she was so upset and frightened, she wet the bed. That morning, when the Queen had come to retrieve her she had been slapped so hard across the face, it knocked her small body down and across the room. That was the first time her mother had struck her and then it became a regular thing, the beatings becoming more and more frequent and each one worse than the last.

Pain reverberated throughout her body as she opened her eyes. She couldn’t see anything except a soft white light and some shapes. Was she dead? Was she finally away from her mother? But if she was dead, why was she feeling this searing pain in one of her wings? You weren’t supposed to feel pain after death. Others had chosen death to get away from pain.

“She’s awake” a hushed voice said.

“Angella, can you hear me?” asked a familiar voice.

The room started to come into view and she could now make out what the shapes were. She saw the warm brown eyes and gentle smile of Cora as her eyes started to focus more. She was lying down and when she tried to sit up, a sharp pain was felt in one of her wings. Angella cried out. Cora gently laid a hand on her shoulder and said, “Easy now. Easy. Your wing is broken in three places. The healers patched you up really well and say you’ll be flying again in no time”.

“I thought I was dead” Angella said as she started to cry.

“We thought you were too. That crazy old woman who lives in the woods found you”

“Madam Razz. Mother found her in the gardens one day picking berries and Mother threatened to have her skinned alive if she ever found her in Bright Moon again”.

“Well, apparently your Mother made quite the impression because that crazy old bat just blabbers nonsense and never seems to know where she is half the time, but she remembers not to come to Bright Moon anymore” said another voice.

Approaching the bed was a very decorative woman with long red hair and a flowered headband. Zinnia was the head healer. She was very outspoken and one of the few people her mother was actually nice to. The former Plumerian was a much respected healer in both Bright Moon and Plumeria and had access to some very potent medicinal plants and could procure some of the finest wines at a reasonable price.

“Luckily Madam Razz found Zinnia in the gardens first because your mother probably wouldn’t have let her finish before she threw her out or worse”, Cora said, as she reached over and brushed aside a strand of hair in Angella’s face.

“My mother still would have skinned her alive if she had finished. She would have left me out there to die” Angella said.

Zinnia walked over and said, “Now tell me the truth, Princess. What happened? Did your mother do something to you?”

“No, I went for a flight and I guess I wasn’t paying attention and must have hit something”, Angella lied.

“You’re going to have to come up with a better story than that, Princess. I know what she’s like and I know all those bruises and broken bones you got throughout the years were not from being clumsy. No one is that clumsy” Zinnia said.

Cora interjected. “Zinnia, you mustn’t say these things out loud. Angella has been through a lot”.

“Oh, she’s been through a lot all right” said Zinnia.

“It was an accident. I wasn’t looking where I was going. I must have crashed and broke my wing. It wasn’t my mother” Angella objected.

“Your mother is a royal bitch. She’s the definition of that term. I knew that since the day she married your father. Slapped him across the face in the middle of the ballroom at their reception. Tall handsome King Marangelo. He was admired by many. She didn’t want him and didn’t want anyone else to have him either. Once they said their vows, she ignored him at the reception so when others asked him to dance, he immediately accepted to get away from your mother and she didn’t like that. I’m pretty sure they didn’t consummate their marriage that night”

“Zinnia! Angella doesn’t need to hear this”

Angella laid a hand on Cora’s shoulder. “It’s okay. Well, I really don’t want to hear about my parents in that way or any way”.

“Luckily for you, they did eventually” Zinnia said.

Tears started to form in Angella’s eyes.

“Angella, what is it?” Cora asked.

“She killed him. Didn’t she?”

“Killed who?”

“My father” Angella replied.

“I’m so sorry, Angella. It was never proven but everyone is sure she did. Given the circumstances of his death” Cora said.

“How?”

“Your parents had dinner together one night which was a rare occasion. Then as the week progressed your father started to feel ill. By the end of the week, he was dead. He clutched his chest like he was having a heart attack. An angelic being having a heart attack is unheard of. It would have been ruled a heart attack if it hadn’t been for the red tears dripping from both his eyes. Autopsy showed his internal organs had started to dissolve”, Cora said as she held onto Angella’s one hand with both of hers.

“Crimson tears” Angella said.

Zinnia perked up and asked, “Crimson tears? How do you know about Crimson tears?”

“My mother told me that’s how my great grandmother died”

Rolling her eyes, Zinnia said, “Yes, your mother would know about that stuff. Dark stuff. Made by some extremely rare plant found near Mystacor and then infused with dark magic. I’ve heard the stories of what it can do. If she did use it then she must have used a very miniscule amount if your father managed to last a week. If she had used only a few drops more he would have died instantly and from what I’ve heard about it, a very gruesome death. Either it is still kicking around Bright Moon from the days of Angella II or your mother slept with a sorcerer or sorceress knowledgeable in the dark arts. Knowing your mother, I’d put my money on the latter”.

Shaking her head, Cora said, “Yeah, those are the stories but the historians during Queen Isabella’s reign have been failing at keeping up with current events”.

“I’m sure the Queen has tight control over what gets documented. She can’t look bad in the history books years from now. She’s made sure those that have a hand in being in charge of what goes on in the kingdom are under her complete control and do as she commands even if it means covering up her own messes and lies. Those that don’t agree with her learn to keep their mouths shut”

Trying to sit up again, Angella was again struck with the intense pain.

“Angella, don’t try to move a lot if it hurts too much.” Cora said. She then turned toward Zinnia and asked, “Don’t you have something you can give her for the pain?”

“Why, yes”, Zinnia replied as she reached onto a shelf and poured a small amount of some liquid into a small. She walked over to Angella and said, “Open your mouth and I’ll pour this in. It’s mild compared to the stuff your mother takes on a daily basis but it will do the trick”.

“Is my mother always in pain?”

“No, she’s just a drunk and an addict”

Swallowing the liquid, it felt warm going down Angella’s throat. Soon she felt it move through her entire body and already her wing started to feel better.

“Now don’t try to move to fast. It’s still healing” Zinnia said as she laid a hand on Angella’s shoulder. She turned toward the door and then back to Angella and said, “Shhh, someone’s coming”.

Several footsteps were heard and kept getting louder. Queen Isabella walked in flanked by two of her Queen’s guard.

Zinnia and Cora both bowed and said, “Your Majesty”.

“Why the guard? We’re in the hospital wing of your own castle” asked Zinnia.

“You never know” replied Isabella.

Turning toward Cora, Isabella’s eyes narrowed and she asked, “What are you doing here?”

“I came to see how Angella was doing. I was worried” Cora replied.

“She’s not your concern anymore and never has been. You were her wet nurse and clearly you can see she doesn’t need one anymore. Now leave. Both of you” Isabella said as she also glanced at Zinnia.

Bowing to Isabella, Cora then glanced at Angella and then walked toward the door. Angella called after her, “You’ll come back. Won’t you?”

“No, she won’t. She needs to learn her place and stay away from you and you don’t talk to her. Or I’ll have her head on a spike right outside your bedroom window”

That warm feeling Angella had felt through her body turned to ice water. She swallowed a lump in her throat as she knew that her mother would do it. When her mother dismissed the two guards and then shut the door, fear came over. What was her mother going to do? Break her other wing.

Leaning over and placing both hands on the bed, Isabella glared at Angella and asked, “You tried to kill yourself, didn’t you?”

“No, I fell. I...I lost my footing”

“Bullshit!” Isabella exclaimed as her wings flared out on either side of her. “That’s a lie and you know it. You’re stupid but you’re not that stupid. Your first instinct would have been to spread your wings as you felt yourself lose balance. You took a dive and changed your mind last minute”.

Pushing off the bed to stand up again, Isabella managed to shake the bed and Angella felt pain shoot through her injured wing. She grimaced but managed to not cry out in front of her mother. Even with the pain medication it was still very painful.

“I don’t know what happened. One minute is I was flying and the next I woke up in here” Angella said.

“Stop lying. You tried to kill yourself and you couldn’t even do that right. Now heal up because I want you back on your feet in two days. You don’t need your wings to walk. And then you have your eighteenth birthday party everyone in all the kingdoms feel you deserve for some reason. Can’t break that tradition. And I need a list of friends you’d like to invite”

Walking toward the door to leave Isabella then stopped and said, “Oh, wait a minute. You don’t have any friends”.

After Isabella left without so much as saying goodbye, Angella cried until she felt the full effects of the pain killer and drifted off to sleep. Every time her mother spoke to her, she felt like the biggest failure and disappointment this kingdom had ever seen. Why couldn’t she have just let herself fall completely and then the pain would be gone? Not the pain in her wing but the pain her mother had inflicted upon her for years.

A couple days later, Angella was able to get around the castle. It still hurt but as long as she didn’t bump her wing on anything or try to fly, she was okay. She was summoned to stand with her mother in the throne room. She hated just standing there and lately it seemed her mother was getting even more volatile as little things would set her off and she’d have a tantrum right there on the throne. The beheading of her own general was one of the worst of them. The beheading that her mother had first tasked Angella with doing but ended up doing it herself because the princess could not do it. She heard voices as she was about to round the corner near the doors to the kitchen.

“Is this the stuff she used on the king?”

“I’m not positive but I’ve seen pictures and that is what the bottle usually looks like”

The voices hushed and Angella saw it was Zinnia, Cora, and a small being of the moth race of the forest fairies. Zinnia closed her hand quickly.

“What have you got there?” Angella asked.

There was a few seconds of silence until Zinnia finally spoke. “Oh, this is a little embarrassing but my husband hasn’t been able to um…you know. He won’t get help himself so I’m going to slip this in his drink at dinner and see if he can…”

Cora injected, “Okay, I’m sure Angella knows what you mean. No need to give her the details”.

“Oh, well I’m sorry. I best be going now. Have some preparations at home to work on” Zinnia said as she nodded her head at Angella and walked away.

Laying a hand on Angella’s shoulder, Cora asked, “How are you feeling today, Sweetie?”

“Better, but still hurts quite a bit. Not as bad as a couple days ago”

“That’s good to hear” Cora said. Her tone took a solemn turn. “I am so sorry, Angella. I feel like I should have done more all those years but I did nothing and watched as you endured the abuse. I love you as if you were my own child and this has got to end. I almost lost you and would have never forgiven myself if you had died”.

Tears started to form as Angella said, “There was nothing you could do. She would have killed you. I wish you had been my mother. I don’t care about being a princess or heir to this kingdom. All I want is to be happy”.

“You will be. Things have a way of working themselves out. The Queen is a tyrant and losing support every day. If she continues to send minimal forces that keep getting slaughtered and denying that the Horde is really a threat, they’ll revolt against her as people start dying. Her days are numbered and I know most others would rather see you on the throne”

“I don’t want it and my mother would sooner start killing her own subjects before she gives up the throne”

“Well, I won’t keep your mother waiting. Hang in there”. Cora stood on her tip toes and kissed Angella on the cheek before she walked off. Angella towered over her as she towered over almost everyone except her mother.

“Angella”

Turning around to see who called her, she at first didn’t see anyone until she looked down and saw the small moth girl.

“Angella, you probably don’t remember me but I am older than you believe it or not. I held you for your first few hours on this planet” said the girl.

“What? No I don’t remember” Angella said.

“You wouldn’t. You were a tiny baby and I mean tiny that you looked like a little doll even in my arms. I was an assistant to the midwife and when your mother refused to hold you after you were born, I held you until Cora had arrived. For such a tiny little thing, your cries filled the room. You were almost buried in your own wings”

“I’m sorry, but who are you?”

“My name is Chrysa. After that night, I couldn’t do it anymore and I went to work in the kitchens instead. I’m to be a server at your birthday party. I’m sure you never noticed me around as I’m so small but I kept an eye on you. Honestly, if someone had told me that tiny red faced infant in my arms would live to see eighteen, I wouldn’t have believed it. You’re a fighter, Angella. You have always been a fighter. You would make a great queen and they’d rather have a queen they respect and like than one they fear”

“Thank you but I haven’t given any of this any thought. If my mother has her way, I’ll be gone before she is. It was nice meeting you, Chrysa, but I really have to go”

As Angella walked away she heard Chrysa say to her, “You shouldn’t doubt yourself, Angella. You have so much more to give to others and that is what your mother hates. You possess what she lacks”.

Turning around, Angella asked, “And what’s that”

“Well, for starters, you have a heart”

Standing next to Queen Isabella, Angella looked down the steps leading up to the throne to see one of her advisors, an older gentleman with a horn sprouting from his forehead. He was one of the few Isabella would listen to sometimes, if at all. One by one, the subjects stood looking up at the throne, expressing their complaints and concerns. Angella heard heartbreaking stories of families being thrown out in the street for failing to pay the Queen’s taxes that she kept raising. She could do nothing but listen and watch as her mother sat slouched on the throne with her legs crossed. She had pulled one of her white gloves off and was staring at her fingernails.

One gentleman came forward and asked the Queen for help. He had lost his home and then lost his wife and young son to starvation. Angella had heard stories of how the Horde was destroying villages, stealing food, and devastating lives, but this wasn’t the Horde doing this. This was the Queen of Bright Moon, the capital of all kingdoms of Etheria or at least that was the way it was supposed to be. A few of the smaller kingdoms had fallen to the Horde and Angella had heard mutterings around the castle about how these kingdoms had asked Bright Moon for aid but Queen Isabella just ignored them. She didn’t even care about her own people. Here she was with the finest clothing and jewelry and rumors were that she had a whole room hidden somewhere in the castle filled with nothing but gold and various gemstones.

Trying to hold back tears as this man poured his heart out to Isabella, Angella looked to her mother who was not evening looking or listening. She turned to Angella and said, “I’m tired of wearing these gloves. I think I’ll get some gold bracelets and get my nails done. What do you think of little diamonds in the middle of each fingernail?”

Taking off guard, Angella did not want to be standing next to this woman. For years she had been more worried of how to please her mother and hope to not get a beating when as she got older and started to pay attention to her surrounding, she realized she was not the only victim. Everyone seemed to despise her. Her subjects. Her staff. But Angella also knew from an early age to not trust anyone, for she also had her spies that seemed to watch her every move. One was a young male guard that Zinnia had caught outside her room in the infirmary. He couldn’t have been more than about fifteen, but rumors were that he had been guarding the Queen inside her chambers at night. He wasn’t the only one. Zinnia threatened him to not discuss what he overheard with the Queen or she’d make sure to tell everyone of his business with her. Isabella would have murdered him if she thought he had been bragging about their affair.

“Um…I’m sure that would look really nice”, Angella mumbled.

“Perhaps I’ll have your nails done as well. You’ll be eighteen. A woman. You need to look the part” Isabella said, as the man pleaded at the bottom of the stairs.

“I…I don’t know”

“I’m offering to do something nice for your birthday and you’re being extremely ungrateful. Plus, it will distract from that nasty scar on the back of your hand which you only have yourself to blame for being a rebellious little twat”

The man had not finished speaking when Isabella stood up and waved him off. “That’s enough for today. You all live in the greatest kingdom on this planet and surrounded by woods, protecting you from the Horde. Kingdoms have fallen but you are here and not there, so you could be a little more appreciative. I’d like to applaud our soldiers for putting their lives on the line, winning battles, and protecting us from the Horde. We are short on a general so if anyone is interested, come see me and I’ll decide if you’re worthy of the job. Now, does anyone else have anything to say before I go attend to more important matters that are worthy of my attention?”

The throne room was silent. Isabella looked around and asked, “Anyone? Speak now or forever hold your peace”

A few seconds of silence and then someone passed gas so loud it echoed off the walls. The crowd laughed. Angella put her hand up to her mouth to try not to laugh. Isabella’s hands clenched and her wings flared out, almost hitting Angella.

“Who did that? I command you to step forward!” Isabella cried.

No one stepped forward. Angella had seen her mother’s face turn red in anger but never this red.

“I demand to know who did that”, Isabella screamed, as a light blast flew from her fingertips and landed on the floor of the throne room, leaving a scorch mark. “I will find out and have whoever’s head on a spike right in front of this throne room”.

The Queen’s advisor looked up at Isabella and asked, “Seriously, Your Majesty, you really want to be the Queen that beheaded someone for farting?”

Some more laughter and then Isabella yelled, “Everybody out! We’re done here. Angella, come”

Flying down to the bottom of the stairs, Isabella pushed through the crowd and stormed out of the throne room. Angella glided down and followed her mother. She caught up with her and when they turned a corner where there was no one, Isabella turned around and used her hand to pin her against the wall on her broken wing. She grimaced in pain, trying hard not to cry.

“You think that was funny?” Isabella asked.

“Um…no” Angella said, as tears formed in her eyes.

“Liar. You’re a bad liar like you’re bad at everything else”

“Mother, you’re hurting me”

“No, I’m not. You did that yourself when you dove off that cliff in that pathetic suicide attempt. You have no one else to blame, Angella. It wouldn’t hurt so bad if you hadn’t have broken it”

Stepping back and releasing her hold, Isabella glared at Angella and said, “Now go. Get out of my sight. I shouldn’t be having this party for you but all the kingdoms are looking forward to it. Now go heal yourself but stay out of the moonstone chamber. Find another way. Can’t have a princess crying about her poor broken wing at her birthday party”

Not able to sleep, Angella listened and heard nothing but silence. Her mother had retired for the night earlier, having wine sent to her room and two of her young guards, a boy and a girl. Angella did not want to imagine what she was doing, but she had heard she liked them young. The two she had in her chambers were younger than Angella was. Opening the window, Angella climbed up onto the ledge and spread her wings. She took off, fighting through the pain and flew up to the moonstone platform. Feeling the soft light of her runestone on her pale skin, she felt invigorated. The light coursed through her veins and she felt a tingly sensation as it worked its magic to heal her wing. Her mother forbade her from charging under the moonstone and could only do it when she was passed out drunk which she probably was by now or when Zinnia would give her a powerful sedative instead of pain medication which she was hooked on.

Angella lay down and curled up underneath it. She cried herself to sleep thinking to herself that her mother could do no worse to her than she already did, except maybe kill her and that might be a relief even. She wondered if being in a Horde dungeon would be a better alternative than living all eternity under the same roof as Queen Isabella. Angella prayed to whoever might be listening that when she woke up, this nightmare she had been living for most of her life would soon end.


	9. Sparkle On, My Darling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “No one else will ever know the strength of my love for you. After all, you’re the only one who knows the sound of my heart from the inside.”
> 
> ― Kristen Proby, Fight with Me

With a brilliant flash of light, the teleportation circle that Micah had created landed them right under the moonstone in the Moonstone Chamber. Angella was holding his hand. The adrenaline surged through her after they had a substantial victory against the Horde at Bright Water, a large community along the river within the Kingdom of Plumeria. Rich soil made it one of the largest sources of food and they had helped the kingdom reclaim it. She had almost not gone as she usually stayed behind to watch over the Castle but Micah had mentioned they were missing one of their sorcerers, the one who handled the defense, creating energy barriers to repel laser strikes. She felt she didn’t help much, fretting over Micah who had taken a couple hits, but Micah assured her she was fantastic.

Feeling her heart a flutter as Micah smiled at her, she noticed his smile disappear when he looked over and saw that the young prince of Salineas, Tritan, had somehow managed to get in the circle. Whether he did it by accident or intentionally, Angella knew Micah didn’t care either way. The fourth member of the circle, Castaspella, was looking at the prince with disgust. The handsome lad could get anyone into the palm of his hand but Casta was repulsed by his arrogant attitude which Angella thought made her a challenge for the prince.

“What are you doing here?” Micah scowled.

“I don’t know. One minute I was at Bright Water and the next here” Tritan said.

Looking over at Micah, she could tell by the look on his face that he was not buying it. Micah shook his head and said, “Whatever. I’ll allow you to stay the night in Bright Moon, in the spare room. Alone. Then leave for Salineas first thing in the morning. If you lay one hand on my sister, I’ll send you back piece by piece”.

“Will I at least get breakfast?”

“Fine. Now both of you. Get out. Let the grownups talk” Micah commanded as he looked at Casta and Tritan and pointed toward the entrance to the stairs.

Smirking, Tritan said, “Why? Are you two going to make out?”

“So what if we are? None of your business. Now get out before I start sending pieces back to Salineas tonight. I’ll start with the parts I don’t want touching my sister, like your hands”

Watching as the two teenagers started there decent down the stairs, Angella thought she saw Casta roll her eyes back as she followed behind the Salineas prince. She could tell she was less than thrilled. Micah drew a spell in midair and sent it toward the entrance, creating an invisible barrier so one could get in. He then turned to look at Angella. The light from the moonstone danced off his skin in little sparkles. He looked so handsome. He always looked handsome, but there was something so enticing, as the soft glow of the moonstone and the moons reflected in his dark eyes. She could feel her face flushed as she asked, “So what did you want to talk about, Love?”

“This” was all Micah said as he pulled her towards him and pressed his lips against her.

Feeling herself deepen into the kiss, she pulled away to catch her breath and asked, “So that kid was right?”

“Maybe. Let’s say we go straight to our chambers and then have food and champagne sent later”

Looking up at the moonstone and then back down at Micah, Angella said, “No. Right here is perfect”

“Here? I like that idea” Micah said as he waved is hand and drew symbols, casting a spell that conjured up several large feather pillows. He took Angella by the hand and fell backwards intentionally as his body was nearly swallowed by pillows. He pulled Angella down and she landed on top of him.

“Now where did you get those pillows from? I know you didn’t just conjure them out of thin air”

Shrugging, Micah said, “I don’t know. Maybe from one of the spare rooms”

Angella just shook her head, knowing he probably took all the pillows out of the spare room intentionally. She then smiled, placing her hands on either side of Micah’s face, and caressed. “I love you so much. You are the best thing to ever happen to me. I can’t imagine a life without you”.

“I love you, Angie. This was one of your best ideas”

He started to say something else, but Angella kissed him, her heart fluttering. It was so beautiful that night and something felt so right, as their two souls danced under the moonlight, fusing into one. She never wanted to this moment to end.

As the night wore on, Angella started to drift off the sleep, her head on Micah’s chest and her wings wrapped around their unclothed bodies. Micah was already sound asleep. She leaned in a little and kissed his forehead. 

A loud ringing noise roused them both from their slumber. Angella looked up to see a light shoot up and disappear into the sky above from the moonstone. The moonstone glowed very brightly for a moment and then dimmed down to its normal state. 

“What was that?” Micah asked.

Closing her eyes, Angella explored her connection to the moonstone. She sensed no danger. “I don’t know. Only time it did that was when I took the full power for myself after my mother’s death”.

The connection did feel different somehow and Angella could not put her finger on it. She felt like she no longer had the full power of the moonstone. It was just a tiny portion of the runestone she could not access, like she was sharing it with another presence.

Three months had gone by since Angella spent the entire night under the moonlight in her husband’s arms. She couldn’t figure out what was happening to the moonstone. She could feel her connection slowly getting smaller and the part she could not see was slowly getting bigger. She had asked for Micah and Castaspella to help but they couldn’t figure it out either. Did runestones get viruses? Was the Horde using from remote device to slowly drain power? And on top of that, Angella was having strange dreams, ranging from the world was ending, her mother, to seeing the young girl on her throne. The girl that had called her “Mom”. After waking up she’d have to run to the bathroom and throw up. She was tired all the time and soon she had to leave meetings during the day because she’d get sick. Finally after much insistence from Micah, Angella finally went to the healer. After several tests, Zinnia finally came back.

“What is it? Am I sick?” Angella asked.

“Well, not exactly” Zinnia answered.

“I knew it. I’m dying. The Horde somehow managed to poison me like they did my mother. How bad is it? Am I going to live?”

Putting both hands on her shoulders, Zinnia looked straight into Angella’s eyes and said, “Angella, I mean Your Majesty, you’re not dying. No one poisoned you. You’re pregnant.”

“No, that’s impossible. Is this some kind of a joke because if it is it’s not very funny at all? It’s downright cruel”, Angella cried, as she sat on the exam table, with her fists clenched.

“Ang…Your Majesty, I am not joking. I’ve run every test imaginable, from magic to science. And that flower I handed you changed colors. And you have been sick and feeling tired. You’re definitely pregnant”

“How?”

Giving her a puzzled look, Zinnia looked at her and asked “Your Majesty, are you serious? I know your mother didn’t teach you anything but I would have assumed you figured it out by now”.

“I know how, but I can’t be. It can’t happen. Micah and I can’t have children. No angelic being and mortal have ever produced any offspring”

“And how many times have an angelic being and a mortal ever gotten together? Not a lot from the history of this kingdom. And it’s rare even amongst your own species. And if I’m remembering my history lessons back in the day, I believe there was an angelic being and mortal that did conceive”

“Yeah, and the mortal woman and the baby died. I remember my mother telling me about it as she was threatening to break my wings and throw me off the cliff. The woman’s husband had folded up his wings and jumped”

“Well, when your body is not equipped to give birth to a baby with large wings, there is bound to be complications. You are capable so there shouldn’t be any problems. And I seem to remember someone else throwing themselves off that cliff”

“That was a long time ago and I was young. I thought I’d be spending all eternity being my mother’s scapegoat for everything that went wrong in her life including myself”

“How do you feel about becoming a mother?”

“If I am becoming a mother, then I don’t know what to think. I never thought about it because I never thought it would happen”

“If you are becoming a mother? You still don’t believe me. Haven’t you noticed that tight outfit you wear all the time feeling a little snug?”

Fists clenched again and wings flaring out, Angella growled, “Excuse me! Are you saying I’m getting fat? Maybe I’m just indulging a little more into the sweets”.

“Woah! Easy there, Your Majesty. For a moment I thought I saw your mother. When was your last moonflow?”

“I don’t get those. Never have. And I’d rather be called fat than be compared to my mother”

“Well, aren’t you special? That is odd because your mother had them every few years even though it seemed she was always on her pre-moonflow phase. Fine. You don’t believe me. How about I show you? I’ll be right back” Zinnia snapped. She walked out of the room.

Placing her hand on her lower abdomen, Angella closed her eyes wondering if it was possible she had a little one growing inside of her. Was that part of the moonstone she couldn’t access being shared with her baby? She noticed it that night she was with Micah under the moonstone. But that was three months ago. Surely she couldn’t be that far along and she had only six moon cycles to prepare for this. The symptoms and odd things she was experiencing did fit. She just never even thought about the possibly she could be pregnant. She’d never held a newborn. Why experience the feeling of a baby in her arms when she knew there was no way possible to holding her own child? Since meeting Micah, she was the happiest she had ever been. She decided to spare herself the heartbreak by not wanting to know the feeling.

“Okay, now if this doesn’t convince you, you’ll have to figure it out on your own eventually” Zinna said as she walked in. She held out her hand and there was a small item that looked like some sort of microchip attacked to a jewel.

“What is that?” Angella asked.

“I did some business in Dryl and I was given these as a bonus and I could buy more if I liked them. Well, I like them so I just might do that. Now hold still”

The little device projected a light that showed a straight line across her abdomen. Angella jumped a little when she felt the warm light.

“Hold still. It’s not going to do anything to you”

The light moved scanning her lower abdomen and once it stopped an image popped up above it in a little hologram. Angella saw the image of a tiny unborn baby. Zinnia placed it in the palm of her hand. Angella just stared at it in disbelief. She felt tears in her eyes. Was this her baby? A new life she and Micah unknowingly created through their love for each other.

“You’re already three and a half moons in. How did you go this long without suspecting something?” Zinna asked.

“I was suspecting something. Like I was poisoned by the Horde somehow and was dying. Never crossed my mind that I might be pregnant”. Pausing for a moment Angella then asked, “Is it a girl?”

“How can tell you tell? You can barely make out toes and fingers in that image let alone what’s between the legs”

“I can’t but I know only female heirs can connect with the moonstone and since that night I spent with Micah under the moonstone, I felt I lost a tiny fraction of it and that fraction has been getting bigger”

“Ah, the moonstone, magical properties in fertility. The power of your runestone helped you and Micah create your little bundle of joy. And her birth will be so easy since I don’t see any signs of wings. Looking at medical books for your kind, angelic beings develop wings when they form little arms and legs. Now let’s see if you’re right and do the full analysis”

Pushing a button on the device, a bunch of data came up. “Well, you’re right. It’s a girl. You can expect her late fall. You have six moons, so better prepare for sleepless nights, diapers, spit up, and late night feedings. She’ll be the ruler of you and Micah, making her demands”.

Staring at the device, Angella said, “I’m still in disbelief. I don’t deny it but I can’t believe this is really happening. I don’t know what to think. I’m going to have a baby”.

“Congratulations, Your Majesty. You and Micah are going to be great parents. Now I have some soldiers I need to attend to that are still nursing injuries from that battle near Plumeria. I’ll call in Bright Moon’s best midwives to help you prepare for her arrival”.

As Zinnia left the room, Angella was still staring at the image. Tears were formed in her eyes. “My baby girl. My daughter. I love you already. I hope I’ll be a good mother to you. I would never do anything to hurt you in anyway”.

Now it had come to this, and Angella felt she was not ready. She was scared when she found out, and then when she almost died between the fifth and sixth moon before her sister-in-law figured out she needed to charge herself under the moonstone since the baby was draining her energy. She was scared now knowing she would be holding her baby girl in her arms soon. It was one thing to feel her growing inside of her, but another to hear her baby cry for the first time and look into her eyes. Would she feel a connection then? When babies would cry in the throne room while she held court, she’d get annoyed. Was that what triggered her mother to not want to hold her or want anything to do with her? Her mother had abandoned her and hoped she’d die. She would have if it weren’t for Cora who would not give up her. Angella hoped she would be like Cora. She wanted her child to feel that love and acceptance she had received from her.

Since Micah had helped her to their chambers and summoned the midwives, night had become day and day had become night again. She was exhausted and she could tell Micah was too as he had stayed up with her. He never left her side. He massaged her back even when she’d feel so much pain that her wings flared out hitting him a few times. He had offered to do a spell to help with the pain but Angella refused, saying she had no idea how it would affect the baby. She even refused any pain killers the midwives had offered, remembering how her mother had gotten hooked on them among other substances. She saw how her mother lost control and became more volatile. Before when Angella was very young, her mother managed to fool her subjects into believing she was mother of the year but behind closed doors, she was anything but. As she succumbed to her addictions, she started forgetting herself and striking Angella out in the open as her subjects watched in horror. She always somehow managed to convince them it was stress and she had drunk a little too much. Whether they bought it or not, Angella could not tell.

Having no idea how much time had passed, all Angella could think about was the pain as it got more intense. She wondered if she should ask for something for the pain, but decided against it. As the midwives told her to push, she tried to focus on something other than the pain, but her thoughts went to her baby and her anxiety increased. Her thoughts ranged from fear that she would not hear her baby take her first breath to seeing her baby for the first time and not feeling connected in any way and rejecting her like her mother rejected herself.

“Your Majesty, I need you to keep pushing. You’re almost there” said the head midwife.

“You said the same thing an hour ago and we’re no closer than we were before” Angella snapped.

“Get ready to push again, Your Majesty”

Squeezing Micah’s hand, Angella tried to gather what strength she had left and pushed. She squeezed Micah’s hand so hard she could have sworn she felt bones break. Micah cried out in pain, “Angie that really hurts”

Glaring at Micah, she made sure to squeeze his hand even harder this time. He must have realized his mistake and just gritted his teeth this time, trying hard not to scream. As she eased up on his hand, Micah said, “Oh Angie, I would trade places with you if I could”

Shooting him another dirty look Angella said, “I don’t believe that for one second. Now shut up before you say something stupid again unless you know of a spell that could just teleport her out of me”. 

“Well, it wouldn’t work because you’d go with her since you’re still attached and….”

“Then I don’t want to hear it” Angella snapped.

As the pain increased, Angella sunk back into the pillows and started sobbing. The midwife urged her to push and said a few more would do it, but Angella felt nothing was happening. She looked over at Micah and said, “I can’t do it, Micah. I don’t know how to be a mother. I’ve never held a newborn before. Never wanted to. No wonder she doesn’t want to come out”.

Shaking his head, Micah said, “Well, you picked a good time to want to change your mind”

“I mean it, Micah. What if I mess her up? I’m so scared”

“You don’t think I’m scared too? You think I know all about how to be a father? I’ve been petrified this entire time, especially when you either threatened my life or manhood a few times. I just know no matter what, we’re in this together. And you have been doing it all along”

“What are you talking about?”

“You’re a Queen and responsible for an entire kingdom. You take care of people. You formed the rebellion with me to protect your people and the other kingdoms. You’ve been a mother all along. So why not add one squalling newborn?” Micah then kissed her on the forehead.

The midwife at her feet said, “I need you to really push, Your Majesty. One good push or two should do it”

“Not if she is as stubborn as you” Angella said to Micah.

Closing her eyes, Angella found strength and then it seemed all the pain, exhaustion, and fear just faded away into nothing when she heard the cries of her newborn baby girl. It was like a sweet song to her ears, so beautiful. Tears filled her eyes. Micah was practically sobbing as he kissed her forehead and exclaimed, “We have a beautiful baby girl, Angie. You did it. She’s perfect”.

Standing up, Micah walked over to the foot of the bed and the midwife placed the squalling infant into his arms. He was both crying and laughing. Choking back tears he said to his baby girl, “Hello, I’m your dad. You are sure a feisty little one”.

Wondering if he would ever give her up, Angella said, “I carried her and just gave birth to her after twenty-four hours of labor. So why do you get to hold her first?”

Kissing his daughter on the forehead, Micah placed the baby on Angella’s chest. Angella gently wrapped her arms around her and covered her with one of her wings. Having been filled with trepidation before, she found it so natural to feel her child in her arms. Except for the hair which matched her pink turning purple as it met the back of her neck, the little princess was a spitting image of her father. When she finally stopped crying, feeling content in her mother’s arms, she opened her eyes and looked at her mother. Angella felt her heart expand to twice its size. There were shades of pink similar to the shade of pink of Queen Isabella’s eyes but her eyes were also mixed in swirls of brown and gold. Tiny little sparkles like specks of glitter danced around in them as she looked at her mother and then looked around the room until they fell upon Micah. 

Touching her daughter’s soft hair, seeing how it sparkled in the light, Angella fought back tears as she said, “She is so beautiful. I had no idea what I had been missing until now”.

Gently trailing her fingers on her daughter’s back, feeling her soft baby skin, she held one of her tiny pink wings between her fingertips. Remembering being told how her own wings were bigger than her tiny little body, Angella figured her little girl’s wings would be nothing more than birthmarks. Micah walked over and sat down on the bed next to her. He reached over and held one of his daughter’s hands. Her tiny little fingers wrapped around his index finger.

Angella lifted her hand and stroked the side of Micah’s face. She smiled at him and said, “I’m sorry for things I might have said. You know I would never hurt you, my love”. 

“You know I didn’t take any of that personally. I am just so happy to be married to the most beautiful woman on all Etheria and be a father to our sweet baby girl”

“We need a name for her. We can’t just call her baby girl”

“I can’t think of a name more perfect for baby girl”

With tears in her eyes, Angella could not let her go. Looking at the tiny infant girl, suckling from her breast, she held one of her tiny hands. Her grip was very strong as she had tiny fingers around her ring finger. Angella thought of her mother and wondered how anyone could reject and hurt their child. She wanted nothing more than to love and protect her child.

Angella had just finished feeding her daughter when they heard a knock. Micah got up and then opened the door. She heard him say, “I guess you can come in now. Come and meet your niece”.

Castaspella, Micah’s teenage sister, rushed into the room. She burst into tears when she saw her new little niece. “Can I hold her?” she asked.

“Of course” Angella replied.

“What is her name?”

Micah walked over and stood next to his sister. He said, “We don’t know yet but after all this kingdom has been through with the war, she is the glimmer of hope they need”.

Smiling, Angella looked at her baby girl who was trying to wiggle out of her swaddle, her tiny little hands either gripping the edges of the blanket or balled up into little fists. She watched her hair sparkle with the soft moonlight coming in through the window and replied, “Glimmer”.


	10. Long May She Reign

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angella has her eighteenth birthday as her mother continues to be a royal embarrassment.

Footsteps echoed in the dim light as Angella walked through the crypt. She came upon the tomb of her father, King Marangelo. She had been in the crypt a few times before and just stood quietly wondering what had happened and now she knew. It was never proven but it was obvious her mother had killed him. But why? Queen Isabella never liked him, which she made very obvious as she treated him something awful. Angella closed her eyes and tried to remember him. Brief images appeared in her head as a she saw a very handsome angelic man, smiling down at her and lifting her into his arms. Even as a small child, she could see the sadness in his eyes that even a smile could not erase. One thing Angella did remember was she felt nothing but love from him and how she felt so at ease in his presence. Something she never felt from her mother.

A low rumbling noise was heard and Angella felt chills go up her spine. While many felt uneasy and scared to be in the crypt, Angella felt it was nothing compared to the horrors she endured among the living.

“Angella” called a voice.

Wings outstretched as Angella nearly jumped a foot. In the soft low lighting made by the enchanted torches on the walls that were eternally burning, a figure that Angella soon recognized as Cora soon emerged from the shadows. She lowered her wings and folded them back up behind her.

“What are you doing down here?” Angella asked.

“I was going to ask the same of you. I looked all over for you until someone mentioned they saw you heading toward the entrance of the crypt. I don’t know about you, but it gives me the creeps” Cora said as she came to stand next to Angella.

“The dead don’t frighten me. Not as much as the living. It’s the only place I learned Mother will not go near”

“Well, she most likely put some beings here but I don’t think that is why and you really need to be careful and alert down here”

“Wait, why? What’s down here? You don’t think there are ghosts here?”

“There are several hidden passageways that lead to various parts of the castle. Your mother used to come down here all the time so she could sneak up on others and catch them off guard. She doesn’t trust anybody. She is paranoid that there are those that conspire against her. Well, one day, she emerged from one of those passageways looking like something had messed with her. She was all cut up and bruised and feathers were missing from her wings. Those that saw her said they had never seen the Queen look so scared. She claimed she tripped because it wasn’t well lit but they said there was no way just a fall would have done that much damage. Something attacked her”

Looking down the hall, Angella thought of that low rumbling noise she heard, like something was moving through the halls. She suddenly did not want to be down here. What if something really had attacked her mother and what if she stumbled upon it herself and wasn’t lucky enough to get away?

“Where are all these secret tunnels?”

“I don’t know. Some I heard lead to certain areas of the castle, like one leads to the kitchen and another leads right into the Queen’s bedroom. Every so often someone emerges from the crypt after claiming to have gotten lost when others speculate they had been entertaining your mother and she got sick of them and sent them through the passage way so as not to raise suspicion, and supposedly it leads to this secret area some call the Chamber of Queens”

“Chamber of Queens?”

“A trial they say for the incoming Queen during her coronation. Now let’s get out of here. Your mother is going to be looking for you”

Lowering her head, Angella said, “On second thought, I’ll stay here awhile. Go ahead”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m not afraid of this supposed monster”

“Okay, but don’t stay too long” Cora said, as she stood on her tip toes and kissed Angella on the cheek before she left. 

Left alone, Angella did feel a little uneasy and had decided she should go back when she heard the low rumbling again. She stood still and looked in the direction from which it came.

“Hello” Angella called out.

Silence again, but then something did come around the corner, a huge snake like creature with razor sharp teeth. Angella spread her wings and tried to fly through the tunnels but it was too narrow and she managed to bump her injured wing on the wall. She cried out in pain as she fell hard onto the ground. The creature was already over her, rearing its ugly head, as drool dripped from its mouth, landing in a splash at Angella’s feet. Angella closed her eyes, preparing for the creature to devour her. Was this how it would end? Maybe it was better this way, denying her mother to satisfaction of killing her.

“If you’re going to kill me, get it over with quick” Angella cried.

As she felt the creature coming closer, she could feel its hot breath on her skin. Angella opened her eyes and saw the creature close its mouth and seemed to sniff her. It then lifted its head, turned, and slithered away into the darkness. Heart pounding, Angella was afraid to move. If this was the creature that had attacked her mother, why did it not attack her? She stood up and felt a stabbing pain in her injured wing. Perhaps she had better get it looked at again, but not before finding her mother who would most likely be wondering where she was at. Tomorrow would be her eighteenth birthday. She dreaded it. She wished she could not go to her own party, especially after her mother had told her countless times she didn’t deserve it and that she had to do it because it was a tradition and the other kingdoms expected it. Why would her mother want to celebrate the anniversary of her birth when she didn’t even celebrate it when she was first born?

That night, Angella could hardly sleep. Queen Isabella had been surrounded by staff that were getting orders on what to do and where to be for her birthday party. She hardly had a chance to offer some sort of punishment for disappearing early in the day. By the end of the day, Isabella was already too drunk to even care as she had one of her servants following her around; making sure her glass was not empty. With any luck, maybe she’d be too hungover to even make it to her party. A party without her mother would be a reason to celebrate.

Opening her window, Angella sat on the edge with her feet dangling over the edge. She looked up at the moonstone, shining brighter than any of the moons in the sky. She thought about flying up to it after hitting the wall with her already injured wing, she was worried she wouldn’t make it this time. She still felt the charge from three nights ago and was lucky to have woken up before her mother had found her there. She wondered if her mother had suspected as she had ordered more guards to guard the tower and not let anyone but herself to enter. Her thoughts went to the monster. It had been about to attack until it got closer and seemed to recognize something in her. Why had it spared her yet attacked her mother? She wouldn’t have been surprised if her mother had attacked it herself. Her light powers that she possessed from her connection to the moonstone could really pack a punch and stun enemies. Angella could just leave scorch marks on her wall which she made sure to cover up with a painting when she was done. She wondered how much longer she could take the physical and emotional abuse of her mother. She wanted to leave, but Isabella would never let her.

At breakfast, Angella barely ate and just stared at her food. She watched as her mother poured moonshine into her orange juice. Her mother is going to be too drunk to attend, she thought. She could only wish.

Slamming her drink down which startled Angella, Isabella snapped, “Eat something and stop looking so glum. Chin up. At least you could show some gratitude. I’m throwing you a party and you sit there looking like a beaten puppy”.

“I’m sorry” was all Angella could say.

“Sorry? No you’re not. You think I want to be celebrating the day you ripped your way out of me, causing me so much pain that I ended up hooked on pain killers. I used to look hot and everyone would lust after me until you destroyed my body and ruined my life, where I have to drink in order to not think about the damage you’ve done. I regret the day I finally consummated my marriage to your father and conceived your ungrateful little ass”

Angella felt tears in her eyes. She reached up to wipe them when her mother stood up and screamed, “Stop your crying. Now get out of here and change your clothes. I’m sick of looking at you. I want you looking nice and hair combed before you come down to the pavilion”

Wasting no time to get out of there, Angella rushed out. She walked down the hall, trying hard not to cry. She looked up to see Cora and Zinnia walking towards her, too involved in conversation to even notice her yet.

“I’m telling you. You put too much” Cora said.

“It was old. Probably won’t matter anyway. It probably won’t even work” said Zinnia.

Looking up, they noticed Angella. Cora rushed over and asked, “Angella, honey, what’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing” Angella replied as she wiped her eyes.

“I can only guess. Your mother is a real sweetheart, isn’t she?” Zinnia said.

Cora looked over at Zinnia and asked, “Let me have a word with Angella. I’ll meet you out on the pavilion”

After Zinnia walked off, Cora took Angella by the hand and led her through the door that led to the gardens. She then turned to her and asked, “Are you okay? What did your mother do now?”

“Same old. Told me how I ruined her life and wished I’d never been born” Angella replied.

“You never ruined my life and I am glad you were born. You brought me so much joy after I lost my daughter. I wished I did more sooner. I should have taken you and left this kingdom”

“She would have killed you like she has so many others. I know she killed my father even if no one has proven it. I just don’t know why she did it”

“Before he died, he confided in me and a few others he wanted to take you and leave Bright Moon and go someplace where your mother could never find you. He saw what was happening and knew you would never be safe here. He must have confided to the wrong person as the Queen does have her spies. I didn’t want to let you go but I knew he was right and all I wanted was to keep you safe. And then he died and I still couldn’t keep you safe”

“When will this end? She’ll kill me too. She’ll find a way to make it look like an accident. I know she will”

“You don’t know that. I’d hope she wouldn’t kill her own child. She hasn’t yet. Don’t give up hope, Angella. She has been losing more and more respect of her subjects each day. She’ll be forced to step down one day. The villages in Bright Moon are the poorest they have ever been and she keeps raising their taxes. Some have been invaded by the Horde. People are dying and she won’t lift a finger to help them”

“And who would rule? Me? I don’t know how to run a kingdom”

“And neither does your mother and she never figured it out in the one hundred years she’s been Queen. I know you could figure it out much faster”

“It doesn’t matter. Someway, somehow, my mother always gets what she wants. I should go and change. Mother would not like it if I was late to my so called party”

Walking over to Angella, Cora gently placed a hand on the side of her face. “I love you, Angella. You are my daughter. I remember eighteen years ago on this day when I first held you in my arms. Your wings were so large compared to your tiny body. Your mother’s rejection was my gain. I’m sorry for the way things turned out, but having you in my life was truly a blessing. Happy Birthday, My Dear”

Reaching up to place her hand over Cora’s on her face, she said as tears formed in her eyes. “I wished you could have taken me. I fear if I stay here any longer, I’ll be dead. Now I really have to go. I can’t disappoint Mother”

A sizeable crowd had already gathered at the pavilion. It was a lovely setting with a view of the waterfall in the distance and the moonstone tower and platform. Angella walked beside Queen Isabella. She was as tall as her mother, but she looked like a stick, with skeletal arms and legs. She looked as malnourished as some of the villagers she had seen. Her mother had a heavier build and had put on more weight over the years most likely caused by her excessive drinking but no one could tell her that. She had gotten upset with her seamstress when told she had to let out a few inches when trying on one of her outfits. Isabella had then turned to Angella who was waiting to get measured and told her she wouldn’t need to get anything altered so drastically if she hadn’t had her. The seamstress then told Isabella she was much smaller when she was pregnant. She got whipped for that and Angella felt horrible. The seamstress told Angella she did not like the way her mother treated her and getting whipped was worth seeing Isabella pout and throw a temper tantrum before storming out.

When they had reached the head table, Isabella smiled and waved to the crowd, of course making her best impressions in front of the other kingdoms. She sat down and gestured for Angella to sit next to her. As the guests came up to the table to show their respects, Isabella wasted no time summoning her servants to keep her wine glass full. The Lord and Lady of Erlandia approached the table and bowed to Isabella. They were a gorgeous couple wearing crowns that looked like gold mushrooms.

“Your Majesty, it is always a pleasure to make your acquaintance and visit Bright Moon” the Lord said.

“Always my pleasure and it couldn’t be a more perfect occasion as my wonderful daughter’s eighteenth birthday” Isabella said, with a big smile on her face, as she sipped her wine.

Angella wanted to roll her eyes but she dare not to in front of all these guests and her mother. The Lord approached her and she stood up to greet them. “Princess Angella, I remember when you were no higher than my knee” he said as he took her hand and kissed it. “And now you’re as tall as your mother, but much prettier”. She was sure it was meant jokingly, but Isabella nearly coughed up her wine and then turned to glare at her.

As the rulers of Erlandia walked away, Isabella turned to Angella and said under her breath. “They are so phony. Don’t let their politeness fool you”

“I won’t” Angella said quietly.

As the party went on, Angella grew bored and wanted to be elsewhere, rather than sitting next to her mother who pretended to be all nice to her guests and told them how wonderful her daughter was. Angella lost count of how many times Isabella had her wine glass filled. It was Chrysa who came over to refill her wine as the Queen snapped her fingers, mostly to have her glass filled but also to bring more appetizers. 

With each drink, the mask started to slowly fall off, as Isabella’s true self started to emerge. As their guests came by to greet the Queen and wish the Princess a happy birthday, Isabella’s snide comments she had been making more Angella to hear started to come out before her guests. Some looked shocked and others didn’t look surprised at all as they were all too familiar with the Queen. One of the times Chrysa came over with the decanter to give a refill, Isabella grabbed her hard by the arm. Chrysa almost dropped the decanter.

“When are they serving the main course? By the time it comes I won’t be able to eat it after downing all these appetizers” Isabella asked.

“I don’t know, Your Majesty” replied Chrysa.

“Well, find out!” cried Isabella as she stood up, her wings flaring out. Angella weakly smiled at Chrysa, feeling bad for her. She already looked like a child despite being an adult of her race but the little moth woman looked even more so compared to Isabella who towered over her.

As Isabella sat back down, a blond woman wearing a green gown adorned with several different color flowers approached the table. Angella knew she had to be the ruler of Plumeria. She had another woman on her arm, a little shorter with dark hair, who looked really familiar to Angella. She looked almost uncomfortable as they approached the Queen.

“Princess Cassia, a pleasure to see you again” Isabella said as she approached.

“I came here for the Princess” said Cassia as she bowed to Angella. “Princess Angella, it is an honor to finally meet you”.

“And you, Princess Cassia” Angella said.

Looking over at Cassia’s date, she recognized the woman as leaving the Queen’s chambers one night. Angella had walked by her mother’s bedroom to make sure all was quiet and she was asleep so she could sneak off and recharge under the moonstone when she saw the woman. Isabella was staring at Cassia’s date very intensely.

“Oh, I forgive my manners” said Cassia as she gestured to her date. “This is my wife, Ivy”.

“Wife? Why? Did your husband not do it for you?” Isabella asked, as she picked up her wine glass and finished it. The Queen snapped her fingers at Chrysa who was serving other guests.

Frowning, Cassia asked, “Did your husband not do it for you?”

“My husband died”

“I was at your wedding, Your Majesty. I remember you ignoring him after you said your vows and then slapping him right on the dance floor. A pity such a handsome good angelic male was married to someone who obviously did not love him back”

Standing up, as she held out her wine glass to be filled, Isabella said, rather loudly, “Yes, he was handsome but he was not so impressive down south and his seed was even more pathetic. I curse the day I let him impregnate me. At least I didn’t marry a woman. Your kind should be put to death”.

The crowd grew silent. Angella wanted to slowly get up and walk away. Walk away from this party.

Just before storming off with her wife, Cassia said, “So it is true. I thought they were just disgruntled by certain orders and regulations as always, but no, you are truly awful and the worst queen this planet has ever seen”.

Steaming, Isabella looked around, yelling at anyone who would listen, “Where is the food? Someone tell those servers and cooks they better hurry up or I’ll have their heads”

Sitting lower in her chair, Angella instinctively folded her wings closer to her, wanting to become invisible. She felt a hand on her shoulder, which startled her. She turned and looked up to see Cora.

“Are you okay, my dear?” asked Cora, softly.

“You shouldn’t be here. If my mother sees you near me…” Angella whispered.

“Your mother is too drunk and busy with guests. I just came by to see if you’re okay”

“I’m fine. I just don’t want to be here”

“Come with me for a walk and come back. If she asks just tell her you had to use the bathroom”

“Okay, I have to step away” Angella said as she started to get up.

As she got up out of her chair, Isabella turned around and asked, “And just where are you going? Sit back down and enjoy this party I put together for you”

“I was just going to use the bathroom. I will come right back” replied Angella.

Looking over at Cora, Isabella asked, “And what are you doing here? You were her wet nurse and nurse maid, but she is perfectly capable now of going to the bathroom by herself. I told you to stay away from her or I’d take your head or possibly hang you. I’ll even make Angella watch so the last thing you see is her face as she cries for the mother she wished she had”.

“Your Majesty, she needs a break. All this attention is tiring and she needs to step away” Cora said.

“No, she is perfectly fine and can sit back down” Isabella said. Then she took a deep breath and yelled. “And I don’t need you telling me how to take care of my child when you couldn’t even keep your own child alive”

The crowd gasped. Angella heard someone shout out. It was the Prince of Salineas. “Your Majesty, that was uncalled for. Apologize!”

“And why should I do that? She’s been turning my daughter against me since she was very young. Perhaps I should spare her and send her back home to those seagull shit stained rocks you call Salineas”

“You lay a hand on her and you’ll break our alliance. You won’t have anyone left to save your soldiers each time. I heard your last victory was because Plumeria showed up. Salineans are great fighters and even though they are strongest at sea, they’ll have no problem taking on what’s left of your kingdom” said the Salinean ruler.

Whispering to Cora, Angella said, “Cora, I am so sorry”

“What for, Angella? You’re not the bitch with the nasty mouth”

“Please, take her offer. Go with the Prince back to Salineas. I don’t want you to go but you’ll be alive” Angella pleaded, as tears filled her eyes.

“Angella! I said sit back down” Isabella cried, as she turned around. She stretched out her arm with an empty glass and shouted, “And more wine!”

Rushing over with a different decanter than she had been carrying around, Chrysa filled up the glass. Isabella took it and chugged the entire glass. She then looked into the glass and seemed to sniff it.

“This is different. Never had this before. What kind is this?” Isabella asked.

“It’s a new wine from Plumeria” Chrysa stammered.

“Oh, well, fill it again. This is really good” Isabella demanded.

Still standing, Angella noticed her mother was swaying a little. Isabella raised the glass and said, “And enough of this arguing. I will not have my kingdoms throwing insults at each other. What we are here for is for Princess Angella’s birthday. I could have wished for a better daughter but anyway, it’s not every day a princess turns eighteen. For our kind it’s no big deal for she could live to eighteen hundred if she’s lucky”.

Downing the entire glass after her toast, Isabella then gestured to Chrysa and said, “Refill my glass some more and on this special occasion, get a glass for Angella”.

“Mother, I don’t want…

“No, you will drink. I am your Queen and I say so” Isabella said, cutting Angella off.

Pouring her glass, Angella noticed Chrysa’s hands were shaking. She didn’t blame her for being extremely nervous as Isabella was very volatile. The small moth woman lifted the glass and started to hand it to Angella when it suddenly slipped from her fingers and crashed to the floor. Chrysa screamed as Isabella grabbed her by the back of the neck and slammed her face down onto the table.

“You stupid little bug! Perhaps you should have stayed a midwife. Maybe you should have dropped her when she was born” shouted Isabella.

The crowd started yelling for Isabella to let go of her. Chrysa started screaming, as the Queen pressed her hard into the table. Angella watched in horror as it wasn’t Chrysa, but a six-year-old girl being slapped and kicked by her mother, breaking her bones and ripping feathers out of her wings. She felt her hand growing hot. She could not watch anymore.

“Mother, stop it!” cried Angella as she raised her hand, releasing an energy bolt that hit her mother in the shoulder, knocking her down. Angella was shocked herself, but before she had time to think about what she had done, Isabella released an energy bolt that slammed into her so hard she flew over the table and out into the open area where all the tables surrounded. She felt like a fly being hit against a wall with a fly swatter.

“Your own mother! How could you hit your own mother you ungrateful little wench?” Angella could hear her mother yell, as she took in big gasps trying to fill her lungs back up with air.

Guests ran over to help Angella, but Isabella shouted, “Leave her alone. She’ll be fine”

Everyone backed away from Angella. She crawled over to a chair and used it to help lift herself up. She looked over and saw Isabella glaring at her. Her mother picked up her glass of wine, finished it off and then stormed towards her. Before she knew it, she felt a grip squeezing tighter on her arm like a vice and nails piercing the skin. She looked into her mother’s pink eyes, filled with rage. All around her blurred, as if they were the only ones there, nobody was watching.

“I am your Queen. What you did was punishable by death” Isabella growled.

Looking into her mother’s eyes, Angella noticed that the rage she saw suddenly disappeared only to be replaced by fear. In all her years, she had never seen fear in her mother’s eyes. Angella didn’t know what to think as Isabella gripped her chest with her free hand. Did angelic beings have heart attacks? Isabella’s breathing started to get shallow as she let go of Angella and grabbed onto the back of the nearby chair with her free hand and gripped tightly. 

“Mother, are you okay?” Angella asked, concerned.

It was then that Angella saw it. A single red tear formed in one of her eyes and ran down her cheek. Isabella opened her mouth and blood spilled out, all down the front of both of them. Angella screamed as well as the crowd. Putting all her weight onto the chair, one of the legs broke and both the chair and the queen went crashing onto the ground. 

“Somebody help! Please. Mother!” Angella screamed as she flung herself onto the ground, her hand on her mother’s chest.

“Mother! What’s happening?” she cried.

The crowd stood still, just watching in horror as the poor woman struggled to breathe. ‘Why are they just standing there? Why aren’t they helping her?’ Angella thought as she tried to give what little comfort she could as she managed to lift her mother’s head off the ground and cradled it in her lap. Her mother was dying and no one was doing anything. All she could do was watch in horror as blood was starting to pour out of her ears. Angella looked at the rest of her mother’s body and her tunic and leggings were soaked in blood. She was bleeding out of every orifice. 

A garbled voice was heard as Isabella opened her mouth and tried to speak.

“Mother! What is it? What can I do?” Angella cried.

With what must have been all the strength Isabella had left, both her arms came up and Angella felt fingers pressing into her throat, choking the life out of her. “You...you did this. It was you” Angella could barely make out from her mother as blood still continued to bubble up and out of her mouth.

“No, Mother. I didn’t” Angella managed to get out as thumbs pressed against her windpipe.

“Let go of her” Angella heard shouted from the crowd.

It was then that Zinnia and a few guards rushed over. Zinnia cried out, “Your Majesty, let go of her”.

Angella was gasping as her mother choked the life from her. She tried to pry her hands from her throat, but then she felt the grip weaken, and then Isabella’s hands slid off of her neck and down her chest, leaving streaks of blood down the front of her dress. Isabella’s arms then dropped down to her side as she laid on her back looking up at the sky with three of Etheria’s brightest moons nearly full and providing the daytime light. She was still as blood continued to spill flow outward, filling up the cracks between the bricks. Queen Isabella was dead. Her mother was gone. Angella looked at hands, wondering what she had done. She sobbed as she lay on her mother’s chest, gripping her tightly. She often wondered herself years later how she could love such a woman, this monster who beat her senseless most of her life and never had a nice thing to say about her. Her mother had never once told her she loved her and even had said a few times she never did. At that motherent she was numb. The crowd was frantic and loud, but Angella could hear nothing, as to her it was just her and her mother. She never knew how long she had been there, gripping her mother as she lay in a pool of her blood. She saw everything going dark as she felt dizzy and light headed. Would she wake up and realize all of this had been a nightmare? 


End file.
